Buried Alive
by McGeeklover
Summary: It's Déjà vu. For Nick and Greg. But mostly Nick; never did he think, after his kidnapping and being trapped in a glass box, that it would happen again. It's a race against time, but who will end up cracking first? Nick trying so desperately hard to find his friend or Greg, the one facing his worst nightmares from six feet under?
1. Chapter 1

**Buried Alive**

**A/N: Here we go! Another CSI story :) I've been thinking about writing this for a while, just never had the time. So here it is, hope you like it! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own CSI unfortunately :(**

_**Chapter 1:**_

Nick rolled his eyes as Greg bounded besides him; the lab rat- well, ex-lab rat- was eager to go on his first case. Unfortunately, he got stuck with the kid; don't get him wrong, he loved the guy like a little brother, but Greg wasn't that experienced. He also wasn't in the mood to be babysitting; it was his first day in a month since he'd been buried under six feet of sand and he wanted to be more alert than ever. Never again was he letting that happen to himself.

"Would you calm down?" Nick said irritably. "You need to be on your toes; no goofing off like you did when you worked in the lab. This is a very serious job."

"Geez Nick, why do you have to rain on parade?"

"Because if you screw this up, Grissom _and_ Ecklie will have my ass."

Greg's smile vanished and decided he didn't want to get Nick in trouble. "Sorry."

Nick sighed, feeling bad that he was shedding his own sour mood onto Greg. "No, I am. It's just been a rough month."

"I understand…so, what did Brass say this was?"

"Uh…" Nick squinted at the bright sun; it was hot as hell…but not as hot as his tomb. Shuddering, he erased the sickening thought from his mind. "A robbery gone bad; the owner was killed as well as one of the thieves."

"There were two?"

"Apparently. Brass looked at the security tapes, but it didn't have good picture; hoping maybe Archie can clear it up."

They finally reached the scene, stepping into the small store. It reeked of corpses and Greg's face turned a bit pale. He wasn't used to the smell of dead bodies…or the bodies in general. This was gonna take some getting used to.

"You gonna hurl, bud?" Nick smirked.

"No," Greg shot back. He didn't want Nick to think he was weak and useless. He needed to prove that he was just as good a CSI as Nick, Warrick and Sara were.

Nick looked skeptical as he set his kit down. "Well if you do, take it outside; we can't have you contaminating the crime scene."

Greg scowled, but set his kit down as well.

"So, CSI in training, tell me what we do first."

Greg swallowed his nervousness and scanned the area. Brass and the other officers had made sure there were no bystanders and the victims were definitely dead. The crime scene tape was already put up so there was no need for that.

"Photographs."

"Good; you start over by the back door." Nick bent down and opened his kit and handed Greg some numbered tags. "If you find anything you…"

"Put these down and take a picture."

"And then?"

"Collect the evidence."

"Okay, you've learned well; I'll take pictures of the whole scene. Ready?"

"Yes, sir," Greg saluted with a grin before grabbing his camera.

Nick rolled his eyes, but with a small smile. "Just go."

Greg complied, getting some extra bags for any evidence he might find and then heading for the back of the store. He carefully scanned every corner, shelf, and dust bunny he found…but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe the guy didn't use this way as an ex…his eye suddenly caught a small spot of red by the door. It would've easily been missed by a regular person. Smiling in accomplishment, Greg knelt closer to the floor and snapped a photo before swabbing the substance. It was obviously blood, but he wasn't gonna assume anything. And then he hit the jackpot; there seemed to be another drop leading outside. _Guy must be injured; the team was gonna be so proud of him. He was sure that he'd become the best CSI Grissom had ever saw…well, besides Nick and Warrick._ He was so caught up in his discovery and the evidence that he forgot to let Nick know where he was going and went out the back door alone. The drops seemed to get bigger as he went further away from the scene; it was a rush. He couldn't believe what he'd been missing!

Meanwhile, Nick was still taking picture when he realized Greg had been a bit quiet. _Finally got him to shut up._ He stood up, stretching his legs, and looked around the store. He couldn't see any blonde unruly hair, but he figured the kid was on the ground.

"Greg, you find anything?"

No response.

Nick frowned, his gut telling him to go to the back. He briskly walked to where Greg had gone, his heart beating frantically as he started to panic. And it didn't get any better when Greg was nowhere to be seen.

"Greg!" He started to run a hand through his short hair when he noticed a number one tag by the door. Not giving it a second thought, Nick pushed open the door and ran outside. He followed the trail of numbered cards. "Greg, where-" His ears suddenly perked up at the sound of retching; following it, he ran to a nearby alley and what he found made him relieved yet angry. Greg was bent over, spewing vomit onto the ground; a few meters behind him laid a dead body of a hobo.

"Greg, what the hell were you thinking?"

The younger man looked up, wiping an arm across his mouth. "What?"

"You don't go wandering off on your own; you had no backup and you didn't even tell me!"

Greg frowned in confusion. "Whoa Nick, I'm sorry; why are you all worked up about it? I was just following evidence."

"Doesn't mean you go off on your own, Greg." Nick looked down at the trail Greg had been following. "And I thought someone who worked in a DNA lab for three years would know what blood looked like by now; this is tomato juice…if you bothered to suck it up and look at the body," Nick pointed to the hobo and Greg saw the guy had a bottle of tomato juice in his hand. "It seems the guy had some, dripped it all over the place and then died."

"Nick-"

"I'm gonna go tell the officer about this guy," Nick turned and headed back towards the store, but then turned around again. "You better not get ahead of yourself Greg, because this is a bad start…and if you ask me, I don't think you're ever gonna become a CSI." With that, Nick left, leaving Greg shocked…actually more hurt than shocked. He couldn't believe Nick would say that to him. He stubbornly wiped the tears trying to escape his eyes and turned away from Nick's receding form. Why was he always such a screw-up? Maybe Nick was right; maybe he wasn't cut out to be a CSI.

"Aw, don't worry; it'll all get better soon." A voice said behind him; before he could turn around to see who it was, a cloth was shoved over his face. Chloroform. He was so screwed. He tried struggling, but he knew there was no point; in seconds, he slipped into unconsciousness.

~+CSI+~

As the officer followed Nick back to where Greg and the body were, he couldn't help but hate himself for what he said to the kid. He didn't really mean it, it was just the fear of thinking Greg was kidnapped and the anger that came after it that made him lash out. _God, the number one rule you were taught: if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all._ He'd have to apologize to the guy once they were finished with the scene.

"Greg I got the officer, we should start-" Nick stopped cold. This wasn't right. "Oh no." What he saw in front of him was completely different from what he saw three minutes ago. Greg's vest, camera, and baggies were strewn all over the ground by the trash bags. A white cloth was on the ground and…the hobo was gone. The guy hadn't been dead. He had been too busy berating Greg that he didn't even bother to check if the drifter was actually dead.

"Nick, where's the body?"

"Hold on, hold on." Nick knelt down to the cloth and picked it up, sniffing it briefly. Fuck; it was chloroform. And the tomato juice bottle was actually just a chloroform container with a label saying that it was tomato juice.

"Call for back-up; tell them we have a code red." Nick swallowed, feeling sick. This was his fault; if he didn't yell at Greg or if he didn't leave him here alone, this never would've happened. And he couldn't believe his last words to the kid were 'you'll never be a CSI.' He was such an ass.

"Don't worry, G. We'll find you; just hang on…wherever you are." But there was something in his gut telling him that this wasn't any ordinary kidnapping…that it was gonna be so much worse.

_**TBC…**_

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_** A/N: So? Is this worth continuing? Let me know! REVIEWS! I just love Hurt!Greg don't you? :) P.S I don't know if the part of tomato juice looking like blood or the 'blood' trail is actually plausible along with chloroform in a bottle that's posing as tomato juice. Also I'm making code red: kidnapped officer/CSI even though it probably isn't.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Buried Alive**

**Thanks for all the fav/following alerts/reviews! You are all awesome!**

**Disclaimer: Same as first chapter**

_**Chapter 2:**_

__Warrick stood by his friend who was sitting on an abandoned crate while they watched Catherine, Sara, and Grissom search the scene. Warrick could tell Nick was upset; hell, he was too. They nearly lost the Texan only a month ago and now this? _Las Vegas, man; Sin City._

"Don't worry, man; we'll find the kid."

"That's just it, 'Rick, he's just a kid. Something like this never should've happened. God, why did I leave him alone back here?"

Warrick pursed his lips, really having nothing to say to that. He had no idea what had happened when his friends were at the scene, but all he really cared about was getting their crazy ex-lab rat back home. He squeezed Nick's shoulder gently and looked up as Catherine came up to them, face pale with worry and fear.

"Did you find anything?" Nick swallowed.

"No, there was nothing out of the ordinary. There were no prints, but we might have a saliva sample on the mouth of the bottle. We'll have Hodges run it when we get back to the lab." The older woman looked down at her distressed surrogate son. Greg was like a little brother to the man and she had no idea how that felt but…it must suck. "We're gonna get him back, Nicky…alive. Our Greg's a fighter."

Nick nodded jerkily as he wiped his face before standing up. They had work to do; he was gonna get his Greggo back no matter what it took. But who the hell would kidnap Greg? He's never really been outside the lab that much to create enemies. Out of anger, Nick slammed his fist against the brick wall. Pain coursed through his arm and his knuckles pulsed angrily; he gritted his teeth and cradled his hand to his chest.

"Nick, what the hell?" Sara shouted from behind him. He barely glanced at the woman before he disappeared back through the store. It had all happened here; maybe if this robbery never happened, maybe if _he_ had been the one to process the back of the store then Greg wouldn't be missing right now. He scowled down at the dead body of the thief, fighting the urge to kick the guy over and over again. But Greg needed him right now; he couldn't waste time.

~+CSI+~

Everything felt strange; like he was tripping on some drugs…but he didn't do drugs. So why was he floating? And what was that motor sound? Jetpack? Was he flying? Greg's eyebrows furrowed as he started coming to; the faint smell of something rotten yet sweet wafted into his nose making him cough.

"Seems like our CSI is awake," A gruff voice said, startling Greg.

Now he was alert; and he finally noticed that he was in the back of a moving SUV…with his hands tied together behind his back. His heart beat frantically against his chest as he tried pulling on the ropes, but it just chafed his wrists.

"Who are you?" Greg growled.

"Your worst nightmare," the man chuckled.

"Yeah, like that's not a totally cliché line; did you come up with that yourself?"

"You might not want to talk to me that way, kid; you won't be so cocky when you find out where you're going."

"Yeah and where's that?" Greg tried to sound brave, but he had a feeling wherever he was going wasn't gonna be fun.

The car suddenly stopped and Greg was ready to face his captor; he wasn't gonna go down without a fight. Pushing himself to his knees, he waited as the guy got out of the car and walked around to the back. As soon as the trunk opened, Greg launched himself at the masked man, not caring that he might break his shoulder. He just wanted to get out alive. The man was caught off guard, but he wasn't letting the kid get away. He had a message to send to the CSI's and he wasn't gonna wait for another couple years to make it happen. Greg rolled to his feet and started to run…but there was nothing but barren land. In his moment of figuring out where to go, he was tackled from behind. He felt his shoulder pop and he cried out in pain.

"You think you can get away from me?!"

Greg was kicked in the stomach repeatedly, making it difficult to breath. But he still wasn't giving up; Nick wouldn't want him to. He weakly tried to get up, but his captor was bigger than him and arms wrapped around his waist, dragging him back to the car. He kicked and screamed like a five year old boy, but it just tired him out.

"Stop…moving…you little runt!" His captor dragged him back to the car. "Time to shut you up!" He grabbed a bunch of Greg's hair and yanked it back, ready to propel it forwards.

"N-No… p-please!"

"Nighty, night Greggo." With that, the captor smashed Greg's head against the side of the car a few times until the body in his arms went limp. He grinned evilly as he threw the unconscious- and now bleeding- man into the trunk. They had a few more miles until their destination, he didn't need a disruption; and before he shut the door, he shook his head.

"It didn't have to be this way." And then he thought with a smile as he shut the door. "Or maybe it did."

~+CSI+~

"What? Noooo!"

Nick closed his eyes as he listened to the tortured sobs of Greg's mom. Grissom had Catherine go to Greg's parent's house, because he'd rather not tell her this devastating information on the phone. He was sitting in front of his locker, waiting for results from the DNA test and camera footage. Sighing heavily, he stood up and decided that maybe he should talk to the woman; comfort her.

"How could this have happened, Mr. Grissom?" Greg's dad said, holding his wife. "He works in the lab, doesn't he?"

Nick frowned and stopped outside Grissom's office. How come the kid hadn't told his parents about his promotion? Surely Greg wasn't ashamed, right? He had been ecstatic about the whole thing.

"He didn't tell you? He got promoted a week ago."

"Why is my Hojem out in the field?" Mrs. Sanders cried. "It's too dangerous and things like this happen. You need to find him Mr. Grissom, he's my only son and I don't know what I'd do if…"

"That's not gonna happen, Mrs. Sanders," Nick said, stepping in causing his best friend's parents to turn around. "I'll will do everything I can to bring your son back if it's the last thing I do."

"W-Who are you?" Mrs. Sanders wiped the tears from her face. "Are you…are you Nick?"

Nick paled a little; he kind of hoped Grissom didn't tell them that this was his fault; that he should've been the one protecting Greg.

"Um…yeah."

"Hojem has talked about you a lot; you're really good to him you know. He's never had someone to look up to until he met you…along with that other guy, Warrick."

A red tint colored Nick's cheeks, offering a small smile.

"But you will bring my Hojem back?"

"I'll run myself to the ground if I have to."

"Thanks sweetie."

"Come Emma, we should go rent a hotel room," Mr. Sanders comforted. As he walked by, he placed a hand on Nick's shoulder. "Thanks son."

"You're welcome." With that, the Sanders' left the room, leaving Nick and Grissom alone.

"Nick, I hope you believe every word you just said," Grissom said quietly. "Because we _will_ find him."

"Yeah, I-"

"Grissom."

The two men turned around and found Hodges standing behind him. "I got a match from the saliva you got off the bottle."

Nick was shocked but happy. That had been quick; now they could get the guy and force him to tell them where Greg was.

"And?" Grissom said impatiently.

"There was an eighty-nine percent match to a Douglas Mason."

"Douglas Mason, Douglas Mason," Grissom repeated in thought. Where had he heard that name before…and then it hit him. The case with the serial murderer that feigned being a judge; the man- whose real name was Paul Millander- which he absolutely loathed. And even though the man ended up killing his own mother before committing suicide, there was still his adopted son, Craig.

"Gris?"

"It's Paul Millander; the guy who lead a double life of a Judge and staged suicides."

Nick was about to say something when Catherine came running into the office, face pale like she has seen déjà vu …and she has as well as Grissom. She was holding a manila envelope in her hand, unopened, but she had a feeling of what it was.

"Is that what I think it is, Catherine?"

"I don't know, I pray it isn't."

Nick was confused. "What? What's going on?"

Catherine faced Nick. "When you were…taken, we received an envelope much like this except this one is blank on the front."

"Is it a ransom?"

"It was for yours."

"Well come on, let's open it," Nick said impatiently. "Who knows how much time Greg has!" He snatched the envelope from Catherine and went to the light table. Slowly and delicately, Nick opened the seal. What he poured onto the table almost made him pass out; there was a finger…a _bloody_, human finger and no doubt it was Greg's.

"Oh god." He put his hand over his eyes and collapsed back against the wall. "Oh no, G."

Grissom went over to inspect the finger and then turned to reassure the Texan. "It's fake, Nicky; it's only fake."

Nick let out a shuddering sigh and wiped a hand down his face. "Thank god."

They moved the finger aside for further examination and moved onto some pictures and a flash drive, causing everyone's heart to beat in their chest. The photos were of Greg, unconscious in the back of a car- license plate taken off unfortunately- his head was bleeding and it made Nick want to punch something again. The next picture was of Greg lying down somewhere and the dread in Nick chest was growing. And the last picture was…

"No…no, no, no," Nick whispered. This really couldn't be happening.

Grissom looked at Catherine who looked like she was about to break down any second. It was always them that these things happened to. "Catherine, get Ecklie; inform him on what's going on. Get Sara and Warrick as well; we need all hands on deck for this one. If we did this once, we can do it again."

Nick ran his fingers through his hair as he paced the room; now he knew exactly how Greg felt when he had been kidnapped a month ago. Standing on the outside, feeling useless and scared. And now Greg must be fuckin terrified; this was not something the kid deserved. Greg did not deserve to suffer the same thing that he had…being buried alive. Now they _definitely_ had a time limit and if they weren't quick enough, Greg would no longer be there to brighten up the lab; to be that crazy person to lighten the mood after seeing so many gruesome things. He glanced down at the photo that showed Greg's _coffin_ half buried under dirt.

"Wherever you are, Greggo, please just hang on." _I'm not ready to lose you._

_**TBC…**_

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	3. Chapter 3

**Buried Alive**

**Thanks for all the fav/following alerts/reviews! You are all awesome!**

**Disclaimer: Same as first chapter**

_**Chapter 3:**_

Greg moaned weakly, rolling his head on the hard surface beneath him. His head was pounding like two bongo drums being played by an annoying monkey and it hurt like a bitch. He groaned again as he lifted his head to figure out what the hell was going on. The last thing he remembered was heading out to a crime scene with Nick. His forehead suddenly hit something hard and his heart pounded frantically against his chest. He had a dreaded feeling that he was in a bad place right now, but it was so dark and he couldn't see his hand in front of his face.

"Help!" His voice was dry and it hurt to talk. "N-Nick?" But all he heard was the sound of his own frantic breathing. His ribs started burning- though he didn't remember why- and it hurt to breathe. He needed to relax. _Alright Greg just calm down; what would Nick do? Figure out where you are._ Greg blindly felt around and it dawned on him where he was; in some sort of box

"No," he whispered. This couldn't be happening. Maybe…well he couldn't think of any other explanation for being in an enclosed space like this. He felt around with his left hand by his waist and his fingers brushed something cold. And even though he had barely touched one, he knew it had to be a gun. On the other side, he tried moving his right arm but pain shot up through his shoulder. He cried out in pain, breathing heavily through his nose, however the thin oxygen in the space that he was in didn't help. He could barely keep a breath and he prayed for the pain to go away soon. It felt like a dislocated shoulder, but when had that happened? As his whimpering ceased, Greg carefully just moved his hand around and found an object he recognized as a flashlight; there was something else that felt pretty bulky but he couldn't figure out what it was. Fumbling with the flashlight and keeping his upper arm still, he pressed the button, dimly illuminating the small space. Greg shined it on the thing in his hand and saw that it was a Dictaphone. His heart sped up, tears forming in his ears; he knew what this was.

"Oh god, please no." He pressed the play button and prayed that it wasn't what he thought it was.

_"Hello CSI Sanders,_

_ I'm guessing you might already know where you are. Well, if you're smart enough, you probably already figured out that I've buried you alive."_

Greg closed his eyes, tears dripping down his face while a shiver ran through his body even though it was starting to get really stuffy. It was really happening.

_"And I bet you're wondering who I am, right? Not gonna answer that question but you're here, because you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, for one. I could've taken Stokes, but you were just there…alone and vulnerable. However, this is mostly about revenge. Your other CSI friends are probably finding out what happened to you by now, but they'll never find you…alive anyways. You CSI's pissed of the wrong guy and now you're paying the price. You will suffer a long, torturous five hour death…unless you use the gun I gave you and shoot yourself in the head and it'll all be over quick and easy. It's your choice; either way, you're never gonna see the light of day again. You don't have much air so use it wisely. But no matter what, you're gonna die here."_

The recording ended leaving Greg in a petrified shock. His chest heaved with harsh breaths and his hands trembled causing him to drop the Dictaphone and flashlight onto his chest; tears flowed out and he felt like puking. Terrified and hysterical, Greg pounded his fists on the cover of his wooden coffin completely ignoring the pain in his arm or ribs; this really couldn't be happening. He had to be dreaming, it had to be another one of his nightmares from almost losing Nick to this exact same problem. But Nick was stronger than him; and even though his kidnapper said he had four hours to live, he didn't think he could do that. He was gonna die and there was no way to change that. It took almost twelve hours to find Nick; they were never gonna find him in time.

"Somebody! Somebody please help me!" He wheezed while sobbing violently. He tried scratching at the wood, but he already felt warm liquid dripping down his fingers. "Heeelllppp!"

~+CSI+~

Nick paced the light room anxiously. Hodges had taken the flash drive for prints so now they all had to wait to look at the contents. But all of them knew it wouldn't be something good. Greg had been fucking _buried alive._ Nick couldn't believe this was really happening. Greg didn't deserve to be going through the same shit that he had. The kid was as innocent as they came; who the hell would do this? He groaned inwardly, holding his tears at bay. He suddenly heard rushed footsteps and his heart jumped as the team followed Grissom into the room.

"Anything?" Nick asked hopefully.

"No; it was clean."

"Dammit." But why was he surprised? Did he really think it would be that easy? However, now was the big moment.

"Are you sure you're ready for this Nick?" Catherine whispered, placing a hand on his arm.

The Texan hesitated, feeling everyone's eyes on him. "Y-Yeah, just put the thing in already."

Without a word, Grissom plugged the USB into the computer and a window immediately popped up with a single website link.

" ?" Sara frowned. "That's Latin right?"

"It means 'his death comes soon.'" Grissom knew he was gonna regret clicking this link, but they needed to see Greg…mostly Nick needed to, but if they were gonna find the kid, this was the place to start. Moving the arrow over the website, Grissom clicked it and it brought them to another blank window. A microphone crackled and a distorted voice filled the room.

_ "You probably don't know who I am and I bet you want to know. But I'll get to that in a moment; it seems that you're missing someone in your group."_

Nick clenched his hands into fists, his fingernails digging into his palm.

_ "You destroyed my family, now I'm gonna do the same to you. Greg Sanders will never see the light of day again. An eye for an eye; my father for your CSI. Have you guessed who I am yet?"_

Grissom sorted through his mind thinking of who could be doing this. Whose father did they kill? Dammit, it could be anyone. Nick looked at his boss with a thoughtful frown on his face as the recording continued.

_ "But I'm a generous person and I'll give you a chance; one billion dollars in five hours to pay for my pain and suffering. Time is running out and there isn't much air left for him…there'll be even less when he starts to panic. Well, maybe I should let you see for yourself."_

A button popped up on the screen telling them to click; and as soon as Grissom did, hoarse screaming blasted out of the speakers. Greg's hoarse screaming.

"Oh god." Nick closed his eyes and wiped his face. This couldn't be happening…but it was. This whole fucking nightmare was real.

In the camera, they could see Greg desperately pounding his fists on the wood, crying for help…completely terrified.

"Nick! Sara! Somebody please!" His screams were heart-breaking and it was killing the Texan to hear it…he couldn't take it anymore and he bolted out of the room just as Grissom muted the speakers. Warrick glanced at Catherine before following his best friend into the hallway. Grissom pursed his lips and bowed his head sadly; he couldn't believe this was happening again. And to the youngest of the team; the kid didn't need this.

"Wait, Gil look," Catherine pointed to the screen and Greg's video disappeared, a different face popping up. And now they knew who it was.

_"Guess you didn't think hard enough. Remember me now Grissom? Paul Millander…you caused him to commit suicide. Now I have no one because of you. You'll never find your boy in time…but happy hunting."_

"Craig Mason's doing this? Paul Millander's adopted son?" Sara frowned.

"I'll call Jim," Catherine whispered angrily, pulling out her phone. Now that they knew who kidnapped her surrogate son, it was all easy sailing from then on. Catch Mason, force the guy to tell them where Greg was, find the kid and it'd be all over. But everyone knew it probably wouldn't be that easy…because when was it ever?

~+CSI+~

Warrick found Nick in the locker room, sitting on the bench, his head in his hands. This whole thing was bringing back unwanted memories; for everyone but mostly for Nick. Warrick sighed as he sat down next to the guy.

"You alright, man?"

Nick exhaled heavily and shook his head. "No Rick, why would you ask that question?"

Warrick remained silent knowing that the Texan needed to vent.

"I'm sorry…I'm just…"

"I understand Nicky; it's tough, being on the outside…literally."

"Is this exactly how you felt when I…you know?"

"Yeah, it sucks, man."

Nick sniffed; he refused to cry. It wouldn't get him anywhere…but he was getting dangerously close to letting the dam break. "This shouldn't be happening, especially not to Greggo. I would've rather it happen to me again if it meant he was safe."

"Hey, we all wish it was one of us instead of Greg; but we gotta get our heads in the game, catch the son of a bitch that did this and bring Greg home. It'll be tough, but we can do this; are you ready?"

Nick wiped a hand down his face, but nodded. He was gonna find Greg; at any and all costs he was gonna bring his little brother home alive and energetic as ever. "Let's do this." They were getting Greg back and that was final.

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 0o0o**_

_**TBC…**_

**A/N: Now I know what some of you are thinking: why did I give away Craig so quickly. Well, you'll find out; it's all part of the story. Stay tuned! REVIEWS!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Buried Alive**

**Disclaimer: Same as the other chapters**

_**Chapter 4**_

His sobs began to cease once the pain in his ribs intensified; the pounding against the wood weakened and soon enough his arm just dropped to his side, fingers bloody and arm burning. He had never pictured dying like this…he actually never pictured dying at all at this age. He had always been in the protection of his lab- minus the explosion incident- and now he just had to go out and be a stupid CSI. Greg pinched the bridge of his nose while sniffing and trying to focus. Nick wouldn't be doing this; the guy would try and keep calm…well after figuring out where he was.

"Alright Greg, pull it together. WWND: what would Nick do?" He always looked up to the Texan; he was his role model and he always wanted to be like him. So, he had to start now; calm down, take a breather, and think of a plan. But what the hell could he do inside a fucking coffin? He already screamed his lungs out, scratching the wood had just ripped his fingernails off, so what was he supposed to do? Sit here and wait for death to come? No, his team would find him just like they did with Nick…they would find him and everything would be okay. Greg closed his eyes and breathed heavily through his nose. He just had to relax. He put his hand to his forehead, disregarding that he was getting blood on his face. This was so messed up. And if something bad happened, what would his mom do? God, if Grissom had called his parents already his mom was probably hysterical right now. Greg sniffed, trying to not let another bout of tears escape his eyes.

~+CSI+~

Nick sighed sadly, rubbing his eyes as he watched Greg calm down and close his eyes. This was the worst day of his life, but he shouldn't be complaining, he wasn't the one six feet under in the middle of nowhere. All of a sudden, he noticed, as Greg put his hand on his forehead, that there was blood on his fingers.

"Oh god." Was Greg injured? How bad was he hurt? When Brass located Mason, he was gonna strangle him! "Greg I'm so-"

"Mrs. Sanders! You don't want to-"

"I have to see him, you said you saw him!"

"Emma!"

Nick looked away from the screen at the sound of familiar voices. Greg's parents. And before he knew it, the sandy blonde woman came bursting in, trying to get to the screen. He barely had enough time to stop her when she shoved him and froze.

"Oh Greg, sweetie," she cried. Mr. Sander's grabbed the woman and brought her to his chest.

"You found him, Grissom?" Mr. Sanders questioned, trying to hold it together as he looked as his scared, distressed son.

"No, unfortunately this is just a live video. We are trying to track down the person who sent this and then we can possibly find out where your son is buried."

Mr. Sanders clenched his jaw before looking at his wife. "Is there anywhere she can sit and take a break?"

"Of course," Catherine said and she led Emma towards the break room. Mr. Sanders turned to Nick and Grissom and sighed. "What the hell does this bastard want?"

"Revenge," Grissom stated. "And I think he just grabbed whoever was at the crime scene."

Nick gulped. It could've been him…it _should've_ been him. But he had been such a dick to Greg and left him alone. This was all his fault. He tried to keep it together as he listened to the rest of the conversation.

"W-Well is there a ransom?"

"One billion."

Mr. Sanders swore under his breath, briefly glancing at his son on the camera. They weren't rich, but he had one million saved up for their trip to Australia they were going to take soon…that wasn't happening anymore. His son was more important, though. "I only have one million…but I can maybe get some from a friend. Do you think this guy can wait an extra day…maybe we give him the one million now to buy more time?"

Grissom shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not gonna work; this guy is very specific."

"Well, what the hell are we supposed to do then?"

"Find the guy who did this," Nick said. "We'll get him and we'll save Greg."

"What about the money."

"That won't be a problem," Catherine said, appearing in the doorway. "I've got it covered." With that, she disappeared down the hall, leaving Mr. Sanders confused.

The man sighed heavily and faced the screen. "Holde seg sterk Hojem, du vil komme gjennom dette, bare fortsetter å kjempe snill. Jeg kan ikke miste min eneste sønn." Without another word, the man went to go find his wife. Nick had no idea what the man had said, but he knew it had something to do with Greg and him staying alive.

"Your dad's right…er…with whatever he said," Nick whispered to Greg who had no idea what was going on. "But you keep fightin' bud, we'll get you home."

Grissom briefly put a gentle hand on Nick's shoulder and smiled weakly. "We got work to do."

~+CSI+~

"Sam."

"Catherine, what are you doing back here so early; two times in two months, that's a record." Sam Braun smirked as his daughter came to sit in a booth with him.

"I need money."

"Again?"

"Believe it or not, another one of our guys have been kidnapped and the ransom needs to be met in four…well now three hours."

"And what's the ransom? One million?"

"Actually, one billion."

Sam's eyes widened. He had that type of money, but damn that was a lot for a ransom. "Are you asking for this money as my daughter or as a cop…if it's the latter, then the answer is no."

"Sam…I'm asking you as your daughter. Please, he's just a kid and we have to save him. Do some good, Sam."

Sam sighed and looked at some burlesque dancers passing by with a smile before staring back at his daughter. "You're lucky I love you."

Catherine rolled her eyes but smiled. Here we come, Greg, just hang on.

~+CSI+~

It was so fucking hot. His face was covered in a thick layer of sweat and he felt like he was in a sauna; one where the temperature just keeps rising. His hair plastered to his forehead and beads of sweat dripped into his eyes. He coughed, sending another wave of pain through his entire body…well except for his arm, because now that just felt numb. Whimpering, he tried shifting to make himself more comfortable but only resulted in him bumping his head on the surface.

He groaned hoarsely. He didn't know how long he'd been in here, but he felt the air start to get thinner with every passing minute. Soon enough, he'd be wheezing, out of breath…and then dead. He wanted his big brother, he wanted his mom and dad, he wanted Catherine and Sara and Warrick…maybe even Grissom. He just wanted his family.

"Nick…please help me, N-Nick…Nicky p-please." Tears started to make their way back onto his sweaty face. But Nick was topside and he was gonna die if they didn't work fast. He let out a frustrated scream before placing his arm over his eyes, breathing shakily. "Please."

Meanwhile, Nick was trying to hold back the tears. He had just gotten back from the light table and he noticed Greg was getting worse. He was pale, sweaty and ill looking; they needed to get him out of there and to a hospital. All of a sudden, Greg started saying something and Nick had to look closer and turn the sound back on.

"-elp me N-Nick…Nicky p-please."

"Oh G." He put his head in his hands and could no longer hold back the tears. Hearing Greg's tortured sobs and desperate pleas were too much for him. "I'm so sorry, man, I'm trying. I swear to god I'm fucking try-"

All of a sudden there was a little ping on the computer, causing Nick to lift his head. Another window had opened, making Greg disappear, and it had a little microphone in the middle. Frowning, he moved the arrow onto the link and clicked it…the window disappeared, but nothing happened. Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, that didn't do anything did it, bud."

_"N-Nick? Nick is that you?"_

Nick inhaled sharply as he swore Greg called out his name. "G-Greg? Can you hear me?"

_"Nick! Yeah, I can; where are you?"_

"I'm at the lab. I think there's some type of microphone…and we can see you."

Greg's eyes widened. _"S-so…you heard me and…saw me, you know, crying?"_

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, man."

_"Yes it is, I need to keep myself together…I need- I need to stop acting like a wimp, I need to- I think I need to…"_ Greg kept rambling on, his breathing becoming erratic. And panic breathing took up more air.

"Greg. Greg! Greg, stop it! Take it easy, man, you'll be okay; I promise you'll be okay!"

His little brother began sobbing again. _"No I won't, Nick! I'm gonna die aren't I? I-I'm not like you Nick; I'm not strong like y-you. I c-can't do this, I'm gonna d-die!"_

All of a sudden there was a gun at Greg's head and Nick went into overdrive. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Greg, put that down!" Mason had left a gun with the kid…just like Walter Gordon had.

_"Nick, I can't do this, I'm sorry!"_

"Greg, I _know_ you can do this; you are the strongest person I know…so please put the gun down."

_"Nick, I'm not strong; I'm stupid and weak and I can't do anything right, I'm a failure…you even said it yourself."_

Nick felt a stake through his heart; he had completely forgotten about the incident before Greg had been kidnapped. He had gotten so angry and that anger had turned to fear. The last thing he had said to the kid was that he didn't think the kid would be a good CSI…a failure.

"G, what I said before, none of it was true, I swear to god. I was just scared that something bad happened to you. You have to believe me, so put the gun down."

Greg sniffed. _"Nick, I'm gonna die anyways…I m-might as well end it now."_

"What about your parents?"

_"M-my parents?"_

"Yeah man…they're here. You don't want them to see you do this, do you?"

_"Oh man, my m-mom…she must be…she must be freaking out by now, right?"_ Greg chuckled nervously.

"Would you blame her?" Nick smirked.

Greg smiled unconsciously.

"So don't give her a reason to freak out anymore. If you do this, you know she'll be devastated…we all will. So please, Greggo, put the gun down. You just have to trust us; we _will _find you. _I _will find you if it's the last thing I do."

The young CSI was hesitant, remaining silent and Nick was praying he wouldn't hear the safety click off. _Please, please, please, Greggo don't do this. _And slowly but surely, the gun was lowered and Greg took a deep breath. _"Okay. Okay."_

"That's it bud, that's good."

Greg took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"You alright man?"

_"N-No…but could you…could you please go get my mom and dad?"_

"Sure…but you're not saying goodbye are you? I promised you you'll get out of there."

_"Can you just g-get them p-please?"_

Nick pursed his lips, but nodded. "Alright, I'll be right back."

_"Kay."_

As Nick left, he looked at his watch nervously. They only had two hours left before…before Greg ran out of time. He quickened his pace, looking for the Sanders. Once he told everyone what happened- minus the gun part- Greg's parents left for the computer room. Nick turned to Catherine and Warrick, wiping his mouth.

"You okay, man?" Warrick said, clasping Nick's shoulder.

"I just had to talk Greg down from shooting himself."

"He tried to kill himself?" Catherine said, completely horrified. "Dammit, kid. Well, you did good Nicky."

"Yeah…um…I need to go take a breath-"

Jim poked his head in the room with a smirk on his face. "We found Craig Mason. We'll be on the move in five minutes. With a grin Nick jogged to the room where Greg was on the monitor.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sanders…Greg," he turned to his friend who seemed to be listening. "We found the guy who kidnapped you; we're headed over there right now, alright?"

Greg smiled weakly. He seemed to be getting tired and Nick wanted to get this guy to tell him the location ASAP.

"Okay…won't be going anywhere," Greg chuckled.

"Don't worry, G, you'll be out of there in no time."

"I trust you, Nick."

Nick smiled before nodding to Greg's parents and running out to follow the rest of the team for the takedown of Craig Mason. They were gonna get him and then they were gonna bring Greg home alive.

~+CSI+~

"Craig Mason, come out with your hands up!" Brass shouted as he, along with the S.W.A.T team, and five of the CSI's burst into the room. They had triangulated Mason's location to an abandoned warehouse and he was currently still there. It was dark, it was musty, and there were many areas where the bastard could be hiding.

"Mason!" Brass yelled as everyone spread out.

Nick's heart was pounding, his gun held firmly in his hand, stretched out in front of him. He desperately wanted to kill this guy the moment he laid eyes on him, but they needed information. However, once they found Greg…it might be a different story.

"Looking for me?" A voice growled out from behind him. Swiveling around, he came face to face with Craig Mason…who had a gun at his side.

"Drop the gun!" He shouted, which alerted the other officers.

"Craig Mason, you're under arrest! Now drop the gun," Brass boomed.

"If you want to see your CSI alive, you better hope you have the money with you right now. I'd say he has about one and a half hours left."

"We have the money," Catherine said, lugging a bag over and dropping it in front of her. "Now where's Greg?"

"Now wait a minute, I thought there was a no negotiation policy. That money is probably fake…or maybe there's a GPS inside it?"

"Nope, all-"

"Where is Greg!?" Nick shouted angrily, cutting Catherine off. They didn't have time for small talk; and he knew exactly what Craig was doing. Stalling so Greg would die. His whole body was trembling with rage yet his gun was still steady.

"Nicky," Brass warned.

"No! Where. The fuck. Is Greg?"

"Oh, someone's a little protective isn't he?" Craig grinned evilly. "In that case…" Mason lifted the gun and shoved it under his chin.

"Stop!" Catherine shouted. "Put that down, we can work something out!"

Nick swallowed nervously, his gun wavering for a second. If Mason killed himself, they were screwed…_Greg_ was screwed. They needed the suspect alive.

"There's nothing you can say or do that'll stop me from doing this." Without warning, a loud shot went off and Mason crumpled to the floor.

"No!" Nick dropped his gun as he ran over to the guy. Blood was everywhere…but he was just barely alive. Mason was wheezing badly and blood was spilling out of his mouth…that had formed a sadistic grin.

"Y-You'll…never…f-find…him n-now."

Nick grabbed Mason's shirt and bunched it up in his fists. "Where is he? Where's Greg!"

Mason cackled, blood spraying onto his pale lips. Nick looked hard into the cold dark eyes, seeing into the soul of a killer. "Tell me. Where. He. Is. Or I swear to god-"

"God c-can't help you no-now…or your f-friend. He's gonna…gonna die and th-there will be nothing…you c-can do ab…out it." With that, Mason took his last labored breath before shuddering and his body going limp. His eyes were left open and a ghost of a smile was formed on his mouth.

"NO! Craig, wake up dammit! Tell me where Greg is!" He brought the man up to his face, but it was too late. "Fuck!" He slammed Craig on the ground violently while screaming in frustration and pushing himself to his feet. Kicking an empty crate, he ran both hands through his hair before covering his eyes.

"God!"

"It's alright, Nick," Catherine whispered, placing a hand on her surrogate son's shoulder.

"No it's not alright! He was the only one who knew where Greg is and now he's dead! How the hell are we supposed to save him now?" Tears ran down Nick's face as he pushed past everyone and left the room to get some air. Their suspect was dead…Greg was gonna die because they had no idea where the hell he was. Greg was gonna die and there was nothing he could do about it.

_**TBC…**_

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**_

**Oooh what's gonna happen next? Stay tuned. REVIEWS!**

_**Holde seg sterk Hojem, du**____**vil**____**komme gjennom**____**dette, bare**____**fortsetter å kjempe**____**snill.**____**Jeg**____**kan**____**ikke miste**____**min eneste**____**sønn: **_Stay strong Hojem, you will get through this, just keep fighting please. I can't lose my only son.

**I'm pretty sure that's right, but google translate can be wrong sometimes.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Buried Alive**

_**Chapter 5**_

Nick slowly walked down the hall, head hurting from crying so much and chest tight, because he was dreading telling Greg this news. This would put a damper on the kid's hope…this would possibly cause him to stop trying. God, why did this have to be happening? Why did that bastard have to kill himself? Sighing heavily, he turned into the computer room, ready to break the news. Thankfully, it seemed that Greg managed to make his parents leave so now it was just him and the kid. When he entered, he saw Greg's head turned sideways and eyes closed…and it scared the shit out of him. Had Greg given up? Was he dead?

"Greg?" He ran up to the screen. "Greg!"

There was a heartbeat's second and then Nick sighed in relief when Greg twitched.

_"Hmmm?"_

"Thank god. G, you can't scare me like that buddy."

Greg's eyes opened to slits and the smile on Nick's face vanished. The usually bright brown eyes were now glazed over and swimming with fear. _Oh man, Greggo._ What was even worse was that he was wheezing really badly…which meant Greg was losing oxygen.

"G, you okay man?"

Coughing violently, Greg nodded. _"Y-Yeah…m'good. D-Did you g-get 'em?"_

Nick looked to the floor, not wanting to see the disappointment on Greg's face when he told the kid of his failure. "No…no we didn'tm bud; he killed himself." And he was waiting for a reaction, but it was silent. Looking up, he saw Greg's gears were grinding in his brain…probably with doubts and fears. It remained that way for at least twenty more seconds before Greg spoke softly.

_"I'm gonna die, aren't I Nick."_ It wasn't posed as a question; Greg had a feeling that this was it for him.

"Greg-"

_"S'alright, Nick,"_ Greg said, trying to hold in the tears…or maybe he had none left since he was so dehydrated. He was dead; he was never gonna see the light of day again. He was never gonna see his parents or his friends again. _"I guess this is…"_ he started to trail off when he heard this weird noise. Like scratching. He frowned, on high alert now.

"Greg? What's wrong?"

_"Shhh. I hear something."_

"What?" Nick was starting to get worried. Was it what he thought it was? "Greg what is it?"

_"I don't…"_ And then Greg's eyes widened. _"O-Oh god."_

"Greg! Greg what is it?" He got closer to the screen like he thought it would help him see inside the coffin.

_"No…no, no, no!"_

"Greg!"

In the coffin, Greg had thought- and hoped- that someone was digging him out. But then, in the dim light that he had, he saw small dark shapes scurrying around him. Turning the flashlight to its highest setting, he saw what he had secretly feared. Ants. But they didn't seem like any ant that he ever saw…then again, he wouldn't be surprised if Grissom had them in his office. There were dozens of the huge brownish-black things, crawling on his clothes…and then they started going underneath. The hair rose on his neck as more scampered on his arms and neck; his body shook as he tried getting them off, and then, without warning, they began to bite him.

_"Ahhhhhhhh!"_

Nick had run to get everyone and when he returned, all they could hear were Greg's tortured screaming.

"Nicky," Grissom said, out of breath. "What's going on?"

"I don't know; he said he heard something and now he's freaking out like-"

"There's something on him," Sara pointed out.

Grissom went over to the computer and zoomed in. Almost immediately, his face drained of all color. The bugs he was looking at reminded him of Nick and the fire ants…but these weren't fire ants. Bolting to his office, he grabbed a book and ran back to the group, flipping through pages.

"What is it Gil?" Catherine said, biting her bottom lip.

"Paraponera."

"What?" Warrick said. "What are those?"

"They're commonly known as 'Bullet Ants.'"

"Are they dangerous?" Sara asked worriedly.

"All I can say is that given by the amount of ants he's being attacked by, if we don't find him within the next thirty minutes, asphyxiation won't be his cause of death." _The pain will be._

"Son of a bitch," Warrick muttered, wiping his mouth before looking at Nick. The Texan was pale and looked like he was gonna be sick.

"Nicky?"

"What's this bullet ant do?" Catherine asked, clearly annoyed. She couldn't believe that ants were being added to Greg's list of miseries. Like he really needed that right now.

"Well, it's famous for its name, because its sting feels like you're being shot, ranked the most painful sting according to the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. It's also used as initiation rites of the Satere-Mawe people of Brazil to become warriors. Pretty soon, Greg is gonna be in a world of pain."

Nick groaned inwardly. _Great, just great; that's just what Greg wanted. More pain and more things to traumatize him._ "We need to find him fast."

"But we don't have a clue as to where he is," Sara pointed out angrily. This was not their day…or Greg's.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Grissom whispered. "Bullet Ants are extremely rare in the US, so rare that not even most zoos have them. However, there are certain parts- and _only_ certain parts- of the nation that hold them. For example, Nevada."

"So we can find out where they are and that's where Greg is?" Sara questioned hopefully.

"There is a chance..." Grissom bit his lip. "I'll be right back. Sara, I need you to call Brass and have people ready to go, Catherine same thing with the ambulance. Warrick and Nick…" The superior looked at his two boys and sighed. "Keep Greg alive." With that, everyone went to their places, hoping it wouldn't be too late.

"We're gonna get him home, Nicky," Warrick said comfortingly.

Nick was about to nod, but he suddenly bolted to the nearest trashcan; seeing Greg in this much pain made him sick to his stomach. This was way worse, _waaayy_ worse than his fire ants. Greg was basically getting shot a million times. He tried blocking out the screams coming from Greg's throat, he honestly tried, but it was his little brother and it hurt him so much. Warrick sighed and went over to shut the sound off. Greg's voice was cut off and Nick could finally- but only just- breathe again.

"Oh god…man, this really…this really sucks," Nick breathed.

"You got that right."

Nick turned around and looked at Greg who was convulsing from the ants crawling all over him. _Please hold on, Greggo; please don't give up._

~+CSI+~

Nick was trying to hold it together, speaking softly to Greg who had now nearly succumbed to the pain. The kid was barely conscious and Nick was trying his hardest to keep him awake. But the only sound that assured him that his friend was alive was the tortured wheezing and the occasional whimpers.

"Just hang on, G. We're gonna find you." _Come on Gris, hurry up._ They had fifteen minutes to find Greg…any time after that…well, Nick didn't want to think about it. He was alone in the room with Greg, offering comforting words and keeping the kid alive.

"Hey Greg."

The younger man grunted weakly before letting out another coughing fit and trembling violently. _"Y-Yeah?"_

"Remember when you were checking out your girlfriend's epithelial? Wanted to see if you'd make good looking babies?"

Greg- for once since this whole ordeal- smiled genuinely and laughed a bit. He had to stop, though, when he started to cough again. He knew the end was getting closer for him; his chest was tight and he couldn't breathe. Even more, the ant bites were excruciating. He felt his body numbing slowly and he knew that in seconds, he'd be dead. _"Y-Yeah, I d-do."_

"Whatever happened to her?"

_"Eh, n-nothing."_

"Come on, G."

_"No."_

"Greg, come on you can tell me anything."

Greg hesitated for a bit. _"She…she cheated on m-me."_

The smile fell from Nick's face. "Oh geez, I'm sorry man."

_"Don't worry about it; that was ages ago."_

Nick pursed his lips sadly as they remained silent for a few moments.

"You doin' alright, bud?" Greg was wheezing really bad right now and it was scaring Nick. When he didn't receive an answer, he spoke louder. "Greg!" The kid's eyes were drooping close and his breathing was becoming slower with each second. "Greg, come on man don't give up. Not now."

_"S-So t'red, Nick."_

"I know, but you gotta stay awake for a little longer."

_"C-Can't…m'weak."_

"You are not weak, G. Come on, listen to my voice." His worst fears were coming true. Greg was struggling to breathe; Greg was dying. "Greg! I mean it, keep your eyes open."

_"I'm s-sorry Ni…"_ Greg's head lolled to the side and his breathing was near the point of stopping altogether.

"Oh god…no. No, no, no, no, Greg! Open your eyes dammit! Greg!"

Nick's voice was echoing in his ears as it got farther and farther away. The darkness was beckoning him to leave the pain and he was considering on doing so. And as soon as he closed his eyes, he knew he'd never be waking up again. _I'm sorry, mom; I'm sorry Nick._ Darkness swept over him and he knew no more.

"Greg! Please Gre-"

"Nicky," Catherine came in, her face pale. She had heard Nick shouting and it could only mean one thing. "What's going…oh no."

"Cath he's…he's-"

"No…we'll get him in time; we found out where he is."

Nick perked up. "Y-You did?" And immediately, he glanced at Greg's unconscious form before running out of the room, Catherine not far behind._ Just hang on G, we're coming._

~+CSI+~

Nick was pressing the gas pedal to the floor, following Grissom along with the long line of police cars and the ambulances. Sara was glancing at him worriedly, but didn't say a word; she knew how tense this situation was and that Nick wasn't in the mood for talking. They narrowly cut corners and swerved around other cars that were pulling over to the side. He was shouting a mantra in his head:_ stay alive, stay alive, stay alive._ If Greg died, he'd never forgive himself; after all this was his fault. Grissom finally turned onto a dirt road and Nick jerked the steering wheel, causing the tires to come up a little when turned sharply. And it seemed like the road went on forever, but Grissom finally turned into a large area that was all dirt. Nick jumped out of the car, and ran in front of the cars, breathless. How the hell were they supposed to find Greg in this? Well, that was Craig's plan; they weren't supposed to find him.

"Grissom," Nick breathed frantically. Greg had seven minutes left.

The older man squinted his eyes and scanned the area; he was trying to keep calm but time was running out. There was absolutely nothing; what if this was the wrong place? What if Greg was on the other side of town? God, he'd never forgive himself. He loved Greg like a son and if they-

"Over there!" Surprisingly, he noticed a little ways down the dirt land that the surface had been disturbed. And he and Nick wasted no time, bolting over to the spot. This was it. This _had _to be it.

"Greggo, hold on! We got you!" Nick fell to his knees and frantically started digging with his hands.

"Nick! Nicky, just hold on!" Catherine shouted before handing him a shovel.

Without stopping to think, the Texan grabbed the shovel and resumed his digging. His muscles were aching and he was sweating profusely, but he didn't give a shit. Greg's life was on the line. Warrick and Sara joined in, but Nick was doing it the most; he was determined to save his little brother. After a minute or two of digging, Nick's shovel hit something solid. Heart leaping to his throat, he ditched the shovel and went back to raking with his hands.

"Greg! Greg, it's Nick; you're gonna be alright bud! Just hang on!"

Once the dirt was moved, Nick was kneeling besides a wooden coffin…it had holes that the ants had made to get inside. Swallowing thickly, he wedged his fingers underneath the cover and pulled it open. What he saw made him sick…what he saw made his heart stop.

"Oh no…"

**TBC**

**OOOOh, sorry for the cliffhanger! Stay Tuned. Okay, now I have to get back to '31 days.' Oh and the information about the bullet ants could be wrong, I researched forever!**

**REVIEWS!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Buried Alive**

_**Chapter 6**_

His coffin opened and light shined in his face. Greg blinked his eyes open and squinted as the sun pierced his eyes. He was confused; wasn't it supposed to be hot, dark and smelly? Where he was there was fresh air and bright blue sky. Frowning, Greg pushed himself into a sitting position and looked around. He felt no pain, he wasn't breathing through a clogged straw…and then he realized where he was. He was in Heaven. He was dead.

"Shit."

"Watch your language young man," a familiar voice spoke.

Standing up and climbing out of the box, Greg turned to see his Nana Olaf beaming over at him.

"Nana!" He walked over to her and they hugged for a long time.

"Hojem, it's so good to see you…but it's early," she spoke, her voice thick with the recognizable Norwegian accent. "I didn't expect to see you until you were old and grey like me. How did you get in this mess?"

"It's a long story, Nana."

"Hmm."

They went over to a bench and sat down, silently watching the clouds drift by.

"You shouldn't be here, Hojem," Nana Olaf said softly. "You need to return back to your family."

"You know how badly I want to, Nana, but I can't…I'm dead; it's over."

"Not necessarily."

"What do you mean? Is this a dream?"

Nana Olaf shrugged. "You could say that."

"So…I have a choice."

"Yes Hojem. But I must advise you, it's not your time. Go back, live your life, grow old. Then come back and I'll be right here waiting for you."

Greg hesitated.

"Go, my Hojem. Go back home."

It suddenly became dark and before he knew it, he was falling into oblivion once more.

~+CSI+~

Ants. So many ants; crawling around and clinging onto Greg's skin. But that's not what Nick was drawn to; he was more focused on Greg's deathly pale face and the pool of blood by his head. His fingernails on his left hand were gone due to all the scratching on the lid…along with wood embedded in the tips of his fingers. His right arm looked dislocated and it had Nick wondering what the hell happened beforehand. And above all, his eyes were closed and chest was still. His little brother wasn't breathing.

"Greg! Oh god, please no." He was about to reach down and grab his friend, but he was stopped by Grissom.

"What! What the hell are you doing? We need to save him!"

"The ants Nick; if we move Greg they'll get angry."

"I don't give a shit about the ants! Greg is dying!" He pulled away from his supervisor and went back to Greg's side. "It's alright, buddy, I got you. You're gonna be alright." Carefully, and with Warrick's help, they began to pull Greg out of the coffin. It wasn't even a struggle; the kid was so scrawny and light. "I'm bringing you to an all you can eat buffet after this, Greggo."

Sara and Catherine watched as the two boys lifted their ex-lab rat out of his grave. They watched as his head lolled lifelessly on his shoulders and it scared them. Was Greg…dead? He couldn't be; they couldn't lose that kid. But it might've been too late.

Nick gently laid Greg on the ground, brushing the remaining ants, which were crawling around, away. Some were still implanted in his skin, but Nick didn't want to try and pull them out if it meant hurting his little brother.

"Greg…Greggo, wake up man."

Nothing

"G, come on." His chin quivered.

Greg still remained motionless. Tears were at the brim of Nick's eyes as he brushed away the blonde strands from Greg's clammy forehead before his fingers trailed down to his neck. _Please let there be a pulse, please let there be…_ Nick's heart stopped beating. "Greg." He quickly went to check his wrist. He waited for a minute…

"Nick?" Sara said agitatedly.

"Greg, I swear to god…p-please don't do this to me."

And then they all knew they'd been too late; they'd lost Greg.

"Greg!" Nick harshly pressed his finger into Greg's wrist, determined to find a pulse. But there wasn't going to be one. "God, no. Greggo, you can't leave me."

Warrick kicked the ground in pure rage, swearing loudly while Catherine put her hands on top of her head and walked away. Sara was just standing there, tears pouring from her eyes and Grissom, surprisingly, was shedding a few tears himself. But who wouldn't for Greg Sanders? He was the guy that lit everyone's day up; the guy that'd make you laugh no matter what mood you were in. The guy that was determined to prove himself a valuable CSI…and Nick had put him down. And he'd never have a chance to take it back and apologize.

"Greg I'm so sorry." And then a determined look flashed across his face. No…Greg wasn't getting away this easy. They could still save him; he had no idea how long Greg's heart had stopped beating, but Nick was gonna try anyways. "He's not dying…not on my watch."

"Nicky," Grissom said.

Ignoring the older man, Nick moved closer to Greg and checked his pulse again. Once again, there was nothing like he was expecting, but it wouldn't be like that for long. He tilted the younger man's head back, opened his mouth and pressed his mouth over Greg's, breathing for him. As he went onto compressions, memories of joking around with the kid flashed through his mind; times where things were simpler and Greg was safe in the lab. He breathed more air into Greg's mouth, thinking about the countless times Greg talked about his conquest with girlfriends…and it made him press harder onto the man's chest. Greg had to live to date more girls; he had to live and get married and have kids. Dying at age twenty-four was not acceptable.

"G, come on! Breathe!"

"Nick, we were too late. I'm sorry."

"No! Greg, wake up dammit!"

"Nick, come on," Warrick said, grabbing his friend's biceps and helping Grissom pull him away from the body.

He was numb all over and he couldn't control his movements as Warrick led him away from his little brother. He had failed; he was a fucking failure! Greg had managed to save him when he was buried alive, but the one time when Greg needed his help, he'd been too late and now they lost a family member.

"I'm sorry, m-"

Muffled coughing interrupted Warrick and everyone turned around to see Greg's forehead creased and his chest heaving as he tried gulping in copious amounts of oxygen.

"Get the medics over here!" Catherine shouted.

Nick bolted over to Greg and slid to his knees beside him. He brushed Greg's hair and lingered his hands over his face. "Greggo, Greg it's alright, you're okay. Can you hear me?"

Greg coughed violently but he nodded slowly. Nick let out a huge sigh of relief. And fully hating himself for doing this- because he knew it may hurt the kid- Nick grasped Greg's shoulders and brought him into a gentle hug. "Jesus Greg, I thought I was gonna lose you." He didn't care if some of the ants were biting him…and they hurt like hell. _Greg had to go through this and it was worse, so suck it up Stokes._

Tears trickled down the Texan's cheeks. "I've got you, buddy, I'm right here. I'm never letting go."

Greg, who was barely conscious, dug his face into Nick shoulder while trying to breathe. He smelled the familiar scent of the Texan and realized that he had made it. He was out of his grave and alive. Knowing that, he let darkness claim him; he knew that'd his friends would be waiting with him when he woke up.

When Greg stilled, Nick was about to puke. He pulled away and his heart regained normal speed; Greg had just passed out. In a way, that was a good thing so the kid wouldn't have to feel any more pain.

"We're gonna get you out of here, Greggo. Just relax; I'm staying right here with you."

In a blur, the paramedics came rushing over and got Greg ready for transport.

"Damn…bullet ants?" One of the paramedics said.

"You will be able to get them off right?" Nick asked, not caring if he sounded like a mother-hen.

"Not here, but at the hospital…it's sort of a complicated process." They placed an oxygen mask onto Greg's face, loaded him onto the gurney, and wheeled him towards the ambulance. And not once did Nick let go of Greg's hand. He refused to break his promise.

"What are his chances?" Grissom asked, running alongside the stretcher.

"Umm, not sure; it really depends on a lot of things like how many of these little bastards bit him and how long he was dead for."

Nick and Grissom shared a look before Greg was lifted into the back of the vehicle.

"Is anyone riding-"

"Yes," Nick interrupted.

"Me too," Sara said, climbing in behind Nick and sitting on the other side. She grasped Greg's other hand gently, stroking his knuckles with her thumb. The doors were slammed shut and they were on their way to the hospital.

In the ambulance, Nick swallowed as he looked at the many bite marks on Greg's bare skin. How the hell were they gonna fix all that?

"He'll be okay, Nick," Sara's voice broke into his thoughts. He looked up and smiled tersely before squeezing Greg's hand.

"I hope so." _God, I hope so._

**TBC…**

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**A/N: Ooh they found Greggo! But will he really be okay? Stay tuned! REVIEWS! Also: I need more prompts for 31 days of hurt Greg! BTW the next chapter for that story will be up today!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Buried Alive**

_**Chapter 7**_

Nick kept his eyes on Greg the entire ambulance ride while the kid's lifeless hand was clasped in his. Sara remained quiet, not really knowing what to do or say, but hoped the extra company made Greg- and Nick- feel a little better. The Texan repeatedly let his eyes scan Greg's body and every single time, his guilt would start getting the better of him. And then he snapped. His chin wobbled and his eyes became blurry with oncoming tears; sniffing, Nick put his head in his free hand.

"Nick?" Sara moved over and sat next to her friend, placing a hand on his trembling back. "Nick, what's wrong?"

"You mean besides seeing my best friend trapped in a box, almost eaten alive by ants and die?"

Sara remained silent, waiting for Nick to continue.

"I did this to him."

"Nick-"

"And don't say I didn't; this _is_ my fault. I yelled at him, I left him alone and now look what happened."

"You couldn't have known."

"But it's my job to protect him! That's my role as a big brother and I failed."

Sara inhaled through her nose and just as she was about to say something, Nick looked up in surprise.

"Greg?"

"What? What happened?"

"I felt…I _thought_ I felt his hand move."

"Maybe it was just your imagination."

"Yeah, it probably was." And just as Nick finished his sentence, two things happened.

Greg's hand weakly gripped the Texan's along with a soft groan escaping his chapped lips.

"Greggo, can you hear me? Come on bud, open those eyes for me."

After a few seconds of waiting, the young CSI's eyelids flickered open, revealing dull, fever-filled eyes. He looked confused, but Nick thought that was just normal; little did he know how wrong he was.

"Hey bud," The Texan smiled.

Greg's forehead creased. "N-Nick?"

"Right here, man."

"Ni-ick…what are you…doing here?"

"What are you talking about, Greggo. We're-"

"Did you get put in here too?"

"In where?" Nick was starting to get worried. He glanced down at Greg's arm and noticed that it would tense and relax repeatedly. "Greg?"

"In the coffin…y-you're in h-here too? Nick we need…" Greg grunted, pain washing over him. He squeezed Nick's hand tightly, trying to breathe through it. "We need to get…out of here. Get…m-me out!" Greg's breathing started to become erratic and his body was beginning to shake violently.

"Greg! Greg, calm down!" Nick was terrified. The kid was hallucinating.

The paramedic came over, gently pushing Nick away; causing him to release Greg's hand and watch it shake with the rest of his body. "Sir, I'm gonna need you get back. The venom is starting to take effect."

Nick and Sara were forced to watch from a distance as the paramedics tried to get Greg sedated and calm. The brunette grasped Nick's hand, fearful that they might lose Greg right now; that they'd never make it out of the ambulance. And then her fears came true.

"He's crashing!"

"No," Nick choked out. "No, no, no, no, please, Greg, don't do this."

"Get the paddles and charge them to 200!"

Nick wiped his sweaty forehead with a shaky hand, mumbling a short prayer. _Please God, don't take him away. Please!_ He watched as Greg's battered body jerked up before falling back limply onto the stretcher.

"No pulse. 260!"

_Thump! Up and down._

"300!"

_Thump! Up…down._ Nick squeezed his eyes shut, gripping Sara's hand tightly. _Come on G. Fight!_

"He's back. Start him on the I.V. Call the hospital again, ETA ten minutes."

Nick and Sara let out a sigh of relief, but when the paramedic moved to get the I.V bag, Nick wanted to cry even more. Greg looked like he'd been run over three times by a truck. And the paramedics were right; the venom _was_ starting to take effect. He didn't know much about bullet ants, but the effects of their bites weren't pretty. Greg's arms, hands, neck and face were swollen about twice the normal size.

"Oh Greg," Sara whispered. Tears trickled down her face and onto her lap. This was not something that should be happening…especially not to Greg. The rest of the ride was quiet. Nick didn't want to open his mouth, because he knew he'd puke and Sara was just trying to breathe. If they lost Greg before they even reached the hospital, Nick didn't what he'd do with his life. It'd be too much to handle; too much guilt to carry. _Pull through it, Greggo. Just pull through it; don't leave me little brother._

~+CSI+~

Catherine exhaled loudly, trying not to let her tears fall. The scene before her was horrific; seeing the place where her surrogate son nearly died. Shuddering, the blonde snapped a photo of the fingernails lodged in the lid of the coffin.

"Son of a bitch." She stood up, wiping her forehead.

"This is a fucking nightmare," Warrick said, coming up beside her.

"Tell me about it…have you heard from Nick or Sara?"

"No."

"No news is good news, right?"

"God, I hope so." Warrick knelt down to take a dirt sample. "Man, if Mason wasn't dead already I'd rip him to shreds. Sanders didn't deserve any of this."

Catherine stepped into the coffin and bent down, taking a picture of the tape recorder before picking it up. She frowned in curiosity as she pressed play, however white noise played through the speakers so she quickly rewound it to listen to the message Greg had listened to. It was a horrible thing to hear and she almost stopped it when a familiar voice came on. And as she listened, tears trickled down her face. Warrick had noticed Catherine went silent and he slowly joined in to hear the rest of the message. When it finished, they just looked at each other, both hearts broken.

~+CSI+~

The emergency doors burst open and Greg's limp body was wheeled into Southern Hills Hospital, Sara and Nick close behind. A doctor came rushing up next to the stretcher as it was being pushed down the hallways.

"We need to get these ants off now and then bring him to the ice bath immediately before his throat starts to swell shut and the venom spreads anymore." A bunch of nurses were surrounding Greg's stretcher, cutting off his clothes, making sure he was still breathing and getting him ready to go. "We'll go to surgery as soon as the inflammation starts to go down."

"Wait-" Nick began, trying to get around the nurses, but it wasn't working too well. "Greg!"

"Sir, you need to stay back." Someone pulled on his arm and he was forced to stop as his little brother disappeared behind the double doors. He tried to get away from the surprisingly strong nurse, but then Sara came up next to him, grabbing his hand.

"He'll be okay. He's in good hands now."

"But-"

"Let's go sit down."

Nick suddenly pulled away and shook his head. "I-I need some air." And with that, the Texan left Sara standing alone in the waiting room. This was really getting to the man and she knew if Greg died, it was game over for Nick. No longer would he want to work at the lab. _Greg, don't leave; don't leave Nick like this._

~+CSI+~

Dr. Amanda Moorhead grabbed her patient's ankles as she and many other nurses and two other doctors lifted him into the ice bath.

"Careful, his shoulder is dislocated." She had seen her fair share of gruesome injuries but this…this was just messed up. Whatever the hell happened to the kid, it must've been traumatizing. Taking a deep breath, she watched and waited for the shivering to kick in…though she didn't know how deep in unconsciousness the kid was in. Thankfully, Greg's body started to tremble and his chest heaved up and down with frantic breaths.

"Mr. Sanders? Mr. Sanders, can you hear me?"

The young man wheezed and his eyes flew opened. They were bright with fever and the size of saucers. He began struggling in the orderlies grip, panic increasing.

"Greg, it's alright; you're safe now. You're at the hospital."

"N-Ni-Nick?" His teeth chattered loudly.

Amanda was about to ask who that was, but then she remembered the Texan who didn't want to leave the kid's side. "He's right outside the door; we just needed to stop the venom from spreading."

"S'c-cold."

"We're almost done, sweetie."

All of a sudden, Greg started shuddering violently and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"He's seizing!"

They quickly lifted him out of the water and placed him back on the stretcher. "We can't hold the surgery off any longer," Dr. Moorhead breathed. "Get him prepped stat!" They hurriedly pushed him out of the room, almost knocking right into Nick who had come back and was now pacing outside the doors. Immediately, his face drained of color; his big brother senses were going off, saying that something had gone absolutely wrong. He started running beside the group, shooting off questions.

"What happened? Is he…" Oh god. Greg was seizing again. "What happened!?"

"We aren't sure," Dr. Moorhead said calmly as she and the others started drying Greg's body off with towels. "We might've been too late with trying to stop the spreading of the venom. We're gonna have to inject him with multiple doses of Antihistamine and Prednisone while he's in surgery. It is also possible that he's having an allergic reaction."

"H-How bad would that be?"

"Very. It could close up his airways in seconds."

"Is he…is he gonna be okay?"

"I'm not sure." She stopped in front of the doors as Greg disappeared behind them once again. "I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure he comes out of this alive." With that, she left the Texan standing alone with his thoughts and fears. This was a fucking nightmare! He collapsed against the wall and slid to the floor, head in his hands. Why didn't this happen to him; he deserved it more, not Greg…never Greg. They should've been faster, they should've looked harder. Now Greg might not make it because of them…because of _him._ And if that happened, he'd never forgive himself.

After many hours of waiting, pacing and swearing, Nick started to get agitated. Catherine and Warrick had shown up and so they were all trying to get the Texan to sit and calm down.

"Nicky, could you please just relax," Catherine pleaded. "Greg will be okay."

"You don't know that," he said bluntly.

"No, but I do know that if you exhaust yourself, you'll pass out before you even get to see him."

Nick stopped and sighed heavily before going to sit next to the blonde. "I'm just really worried."

"I know." She began rubbing circles on his back. "But our Greg's a fighter; he won't give up."

Suddenly, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders came rushing into the waiting room, Emma looking frantic and Mr. Sanders looking exhausted. Catherine immediately got up and went over to them, getting them up to speed. Nick watched silently as Greg's parents tried to hold it all together, but were having a tough time. He wiped his face and waited until they finally came over to sit, no matter how anxious they were to see their son. They ended up waiting for another hour before Dr. Moorhead came out; her face was unreadable when Nick looked up and it scared him. His breathing hitched and he pushed himself from the chair along with everyone else.

"How is he?" His voice shook.

"I'm sorry Nick, but I can only divulge information with his immediate family."

"What?"

"Doctor," Mr. Sanders said. "Whatever you have to say to us, we are just gonna repeat it to them; might as well just say it. They're Greg's family too."

"Alright, let's go sit down then."

They all followed the doctor back to the chairs and sat down, fearful of what the news would be. Dr. Moorhead sighed and gave them all a sympathized smile. Nick's heart sank; usually when a doctor did that, it meant that they were really sorry and that the patient died.

"Please, is my son okay?" Emma said, crumpling a tissue in her hand.

"I'm not gonna lie," Dr. Moorhead replied sadly. "He had another seizure on the table and we're sure it was caused by the swelling of him brain…and I'm afraid I have bad news."

**TBC…**

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**A/N: another cliffhanger! Sorry, I can't help it :) stay tuned! The next installment of Replacement will be up later tonight btw!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Buried Alive**

**I apologize for my absence on this story, writers block is never a good thing to have especially on this story since I love it so much! Anyways, I hope you like it!**

_**Chapter 8**_

"Bad news? What do you mean bad news?" Nick blurted out. Catherine placed a hand on the man's bicep, squeezing it lightly.

Dr. Moorhead sighed sadly, hating to be the bearer of bad news…but it came with the job. It was an occupational hazard. "Like I said, there was a lot of intracranial swelling that caused the seizures and until we get it down, there is no way of knowing if there is brain damage."

"But there's a possibility that there will be?" Sara asked.

"Yes; the blows to his head caused cracking of the skull and a serious concussion. He was very lucky there was no bleeding into the brain. However, I hate to say, that he's in a very deep coma at the moment."

"A coma? Oh fuck." Nick put his head and his hand, trying to take a deep breath. This was already so much, but he knew there was more to come. A lot more.

"D-Do you know when he'll come out of it?" Emma sniffed.

"I'm truly sorry, Mrs. Sanders, but there is no way of knowing. We're just gonna have to wait…however, that's only the major issue."

"What else is there?" Catherine whispered, rubbing her hand up and down Nick's arm.

"I'm afraid it's not a short list." Dr. Moorhead took a deep breath and began. "Greg obtained three broken ribs, nevertheless he is very lucky none of them punctured a lung. Unfortunately, one of them did stab his spleen causing internal bleeding. We had to remove it and usually in situations like that, it's not a problem but Greg is suffering from multiple infections as well as having an allergic reaction to the ant bites and it makes not having a spleen very critical. The infections are causing him to have a very high fever and if the cooling blankets along with intravenous fluids don't work, we're gonna have to bring him to the ice bath again. And speaking about the bites, there is some swelling going on at the sites but not as bad as it had been when he arrived here. He also has a dislocated shoulder, but that's been fixed immediately. His fingernails on his left hand all got ripped off, so that will take at least six months for the damaged ones to grow back. He also seemed to get bronchitis and we are currently treating him for that as well. It's a lot to take in, I know and the next few days will be extremely critical, but I assure you all that I will do everything in my power to get him back on his feet."

Emma was crying into her husband's shoulder while everyone else had lost the color in their faces. It sounded so much worse now that they knew the extent of the injuries. Nick was trembling in fear, yet anger. Anger at the man who did this to his little brother and wishing that he had the pleasure to kill the bastard. But all of that was over and now he had to be here for his brother- both physically and mentally.

"When can we see him, doctor," Mr. Sanders said, clutching his wife close to him.

"I'm afraid no one can visit him at the time. Until we can clear the infections and get his fever down to a safer level, there are to be no outside anomalies entering the room without proper sterilization." Dr. Moorhead stared sadly at these group of people; Greg had a very loving family and she felt bad for not letting them see the kid. "But I have no objection over you all seeing him through the window."

Nick looked up, his heart beating against his chest with anxiety. _Hell yes he wanted to see Greg!_ "Yes…please…definitely."

Dr. Moorhead smiled as she stood up, the rest of the team doing the same. "Then follow me."

They all walked down the hallway quietly, passing bustling nurses and hobbling patients. All they had on their minds were how Greg would look and according to what the doctor had told them, they knew it would be _really_ bad. Nick swallowed nervously and took a deep breath; a part of him wanted to see his brother, but another part of him was terrified. He hated seeing Greg hurt whether it was physically or emotionally; when Greg got hurt, it ripped him a little inside. And when they reached the window and looked inside, he was _destroyed_ inside.

"Oh god." And then Nick suddenly wanted to collapse.

Hands flew to mouths, gasps were stifled and people started shedding tears. Greg looked horrible…no, that was a complete understatement. Nick had seen better looking corpses on Doc Robin's table. The kid was wrapped in so many bandages, that there was barely any skin to see… but the skin that was showing was irritated and swollen. A large bandage wrapped around Greg's head, hiding the blonde hair they all loved. A tube snaked out from underneath and to a machine, draining the excess fluid from his brain. Moving down, a nasal cannula was sitting underneath his nose, giving him the much needed oxygen to his deprived lungs. A thick beige bandage wrapped around the kid's body all the way from under his armpits and down to his waist. His arm was hung in a sling, held snug against his body and rising and falling with each of Greg's shallow breaths. The fingers on his left hand were wrapped together in a bandage, but spots of blood could still be seen through it. Cooling blankets were packed on top and around the kid, trying to bring down his dangerously high fever. A thick layer of sweat could be seen coating his face and neck; it also looked like Greg lost at least forty pounds. Greg was already skinny enough; he didn't need weight loss, if anything, he needed weight _gain._

"Oh Greg," Mr. Sander's whispered, rubbing his wife's arm. Catherine and Sara were crying, Warrick was muttering swears under his breath, Grissom was shaking his head and had his eyes closed and Nick…Nick was about to be sick. He had been killed inside. Greg didn't deserve this. No one did.

**1 Week Later**

"Mr. and Mrs. Sanders?"

The two parents looked up as did Nick who would not leave the hospital until he knew Greg was absolutely okay. Catherine, Sara, and Warrick had begged him to go home and get some rest, but honestly he couldn't; every time he closed his eyes, he would dream of Greg being trapped in the godforsaken box and then it would switch to _his_ box, making him go back to place the never wanted to think about again. Other nightmares he would have was watching Greg take his last breath or get to the box, find Greg dead and it be too late. He then vowed to never take his eyes of the kid when they were at a scene or anywhere he felt was dangerous. He knew Greg might hate that, but he wasn't gonna lose the kid…not again. However, speaking about crime scenes, he wondered if Greg was ever gonna want to come work at the lab again. This was a traumatizing experience and as sensitive as Greg was, his mental state might keep him from doing the job he loved.

"You can go see your son now."

"Oh, thank god," Emma sighed with relief. The two stood up and looked at Nick.

"Do you want to come, sweetie?"

"No, you guys go be with him first; I don't want to be intruding on your privacy."

"You sure, son?" Mr. Sanders frowned. He admired this man's dedication to his job and the brotherly protection he had over his son.

"Yeah, ya'll go; I'll sit with him later."

"Okay." With that, the two followed Dr. Moorhead down the hall.

"Now even though he's still in the coma, I urge you to talk to him, let him know you're here. There are myths that the patient can hear what's going on around them. Hopefully, it'll get him to…"

The doctor's voice faded with distance, leaving Nick alone with his thoughts. The waiting room was quiet except for the nurse typing on her computer and the elevator dinging now and then. He groaned in frustration while wiping both his hands down his face; none of this should've happened. It was just all wrong…and worse, he feared that Greg would never want to talk to him anymore. The last thing he said to the kid must've hurt like hell and now…if Greg didn't make it because of all those fucking injuries, Nick wasn't gonna be able to live with himself. He was sure of it.

"I'm so sorry, G. Please-"

"Code blue in CCU room 313! Code blue in CCU room 313," a voice shouted over the intercom

Nick perked up…he recognized that room number. His brain was slow from lack of sleep and it took him a couple seconds to realize they were calling off _Greg's _room number.

"Oh shit." Without caring that he shouldn't go back there, Nick pushed himself off the chair and bolted down the hallway. _Please no, please don't do this Greggo._ And he knew when he reached the area when he saw Greg's parents standing out in the hallway, Emma bawling her eyes out and Mr. Sanders trying to be strong for his wife. Nick's heart sunk even lower when he saw this, because he knew that something bad was going on. Skidding to a stop and almost out of breath, he looked into the room and his legs went weak.

"Clear!" Dr. Moorhead's voice sounded muffled behind the glass windows.

And then he saw Greg's body jerk up just like in the ambulance. Only this was worse; Greg had been doing fine all week, so what the hell was going on? Why was the kid dying?

"Still nothing."

"Come on Greggo," He whispered, placing a hand on the glass.

"Charge to 300…Clear!"

"No pulse."

Nick cursed, trying to keep the tears at bay. He saw Dr. Moorhead stop and wipe her forehead with her sleeve before putting the paddles away. _No, no, no! What the fuck was she doing? She can't give up now._

"Start compressions."

"Thank god," Mr. Sander's breathed. Apparently, he'd been thinking the same thing.

Four pairs of eyes watched the monitor and Greg as compressions and emergency breaths were being administered. It seemed to go on forever and with each minute that the EKG remained flat, the less hope everyone had…especially Nick. It was over; Greg's life was over and so was his. Because if Greg died and he could've done something about it, then Nick would drink himself to oblivion. He wasn't living without his little brother.

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0ooo0o0o0o0o0o0**_

_**TBC…**_

_** Sorry it's a slow and boring chapter, but it was something to get us all over the hump. Next chapter comes the real stuff. :) REVIEWS!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Buried Alive**

_**Chapter 9**_

___He remembered this place; he had been here before and he prayed that he'd never return. It was Heaven…or at least he thought it was. Greg blinked around and noticed how familiar it looked…like his Nana Olaf's place. He used to love going to visit her, eat her freshly baked cookies and then run around the field with Bart- the Border collie. Greg smiled. He missed the place. Sighing sadly, he knew he was dead…and probably for good this time. Might as well make the best of it. He walked over to the little cottage and opened the door._

_ "What did I tell you, Hojem? I didn't want to see you again until you were hunching over and had no hair."_

_ Greg looked over into the living room and saw his Nana sitting on the couch, knitting a pair of gloves. He smiled and went to go sit next to her; and like always, there was a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies on the coffee table. After he ate two, he leaned back and sighed._

_ "Well, I'm waiting for an explanation, Hojem."_

_ "I don't know, Nana…I just…I think Nick and everyone else would be better off without me. I mean, Nick absolutely hates me, even said I'd never become a CSI." _

_ "But he didn't say he hated you."_

_ "He didn't have to…it was just the look in his eyes. He thinks I'm worthless."_

_ "Well, get this Nick guy out of the picture. What about your parents?"_

_ "I'm a horrible son, Nana. I can't even take five minutes out of my day to call and say hi."_

_ "You're a working man; they understand. And you think people that hate you would be begging you to live and _crying_?"_

_ Greg scoffed. "Nick doesn't cry."_

_ "Oh?" The house faded into darkness filled with clouds floating around them. Nana Olaf stood beside Greg and before he knew it, they were in a darkened room. He blinked as sounds became present and boy were they frightening. What was even more frightening was that he could see his motionless body lying in the hospital while the doctor was trying so desperately to revive him._

_ "Nana-"_

_ The older woman stopped him and pointed out the door. His brow furrowing, he slowly made his way out the door. What he saw made his heart break; his parents looked like they were going to have their hearts torn to itty bitty pieces. His mom looked tired, her mascara smeared from crying and his dad seemed to look thirty years older. They were stressed. And Nick; the guy looked like one of Doc Robin's corpses. His eyes were red and his face was pale and streaked with tears. It also looked like he had lost some weight…had the guy stopped eating?_

_ "Yes, he did Greg," his Nana spoke up. "Because he was so focused on saving you as well as staying with you until you woke up, that he hasn't had more than a few crackers and water."_

_ "He's gonna get sick," Greg said worriedly. He could care less about himself, it was Nick he had to worry about._

_ "Then why don't you do something about it?"_

_ Greg turned around and saw that the doctor had stopped administering CPR. It was too late._

_ "I can't…I'm _officially_ dead."_

_ Nana Olaf shook her head. "Not if I can help it. I've talked to the big man and he said it's not your time…come here."_

_ A bit suspicious, Greg walked over to her and she put a hand on his shoulder. _

_ "Go back home, Hojem…and I _never_ want to see you here again for a very long time. Promise?"_

_ Greg smiled. "I promise, Nana."_

_ "Good. Now close your eyes and wake up."_

_ "Nana?"_

_ "Yes, Hojem?"_

_ "Thanks."_

_ "You are welcome." With that, she touched his forehead and there was a big flash of light before Greg knew nothing at all._

~+CSI+~

Seconds passed. Minutes. But nothing was happening…Greg remained dead_._ Nick saw Dr. Moorhead stop and shake her head. He watched her lips move slowly and he knew what she was saying. _Time of death._ Tears trailed down Nick's face before his legs weakened and he slid down the wall to the floor. He was vaguely aware of the distraught sobs coming from _both_ Greg's parents; he was lost in his own world right now…a world that would be without his little brother forever.

"Oh god…oh, Greg." _He _was responsible for Greg's death.

"Nick?"

He wanted to ignore the voice, but they were gonna keep bothering him until he answered. Looking up with red-rimmed eyes, he saw that it was Dr. Moorhead. She gave him a sympathetic smile, squeezing his shoulder gently.

"I'm really sorry; I know he meant a lot to you."

The Texan choked a sob and nodded, rubbing his face. He then looked over and saw that Greg's parents were gone. "Um…where did they-"

"Inside…you can go, too, if you want."

He didn't know if he could. He didn't know if he could look at Greg's bruised and lifeless body. He didn't know if he could see Greg _never_ talk again or bounce around again or never hear that crappy music he listened to. But before he could answer, he heard shouts coming from the room and Mr. Sanders came running out. He looked shocked but…happy. How could the man be fucking happy? His son just died!

"What's going on?" Dr. Moorhead said, completely alarmed.

"He's alive!"

Frowning, she shared a quick look with Nick before following Mr. Sanders back into the room. Nick scrambled to his feet, doing the same…and what he saw made his heart slam through his chest. Greg was indeed alive; he was sitting up, trying to take in copious amounts of air just like he had back at his grave site. A huge smile formed on his face and Nick ran into the room, standing behind Greg's parents. Mr. Sanders was helping his son sit up, rubbing his back while Mrs. Sanders was whispering thank you to someone named Frida. He didn't think too much about it, but he sort of remembered Greg talking about his Nana Olaf having that name. However, he didn't really care right now; Greg was fucking alive! The doctor quickly placed an oxygen mask on Greg's mouth before injecting his I.V. with morphine to knock him out for a while. Greg's violent coughing started to cease and before they knew it, Greg slumped against his pillows once more.

"Wow," Dr. Moorhead breathed. "This-This is a miracle. The best one I've seen in my entire career, actually."

"Our Greg's a strong boy," Mr. Sanders beamed.

"And he had some help from his Nana Olaf," Emma smiled down at Greg.

Dr. Moorhead raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "Well, I'll leave you three alone for a little bit. I'm gonna get Greg set up for a CAT scan in thirty minutes to see what caused his crash." With that, she left, leaving Nick and Greg's parents musing over what just happened.

Mr. Sanders glanced at Nick who was sitting down and taking deep breaths in a corner chair, still a bit overwhelmed by the past five minutes. Pursing his lips, he squeezed his wife's shoulder gently.

"Emma, why don't we go take a break. We've just had two heart-stopping moments and we should go eat and relax."

"But-"

"Greg will be okay now; he's got Nick too."

Emma looked over at Greg's friend and sighed. She nodded as she stopped carding her fingers through Greg's hair and went out the door. Mr. Sanders went over to Nick and put a firm hand on his arm. The man's head jerked up, his eyes watery and almost out of breath.

"Can you keep an eye on him? Emma needs to take a break from all this."

"Yes, yes of course."

"Are _you_ gonna be okay, son? You don't look very well."

"No…no I'm fine; just a little shaken up, that's all."

"I don't blame you." He patted Nick's shoulder and started to leave. "We'll be back later. Just keep our Greg safe."

"That's something I'll never stop doing, Mr. Sanders."

The older man smirked and he followed his wife out the door. Nick sighed heavily, pinching his nose and getting up to go sit by Greg. His little brother who was one crazy guy; one minute he was dead, the next he was alive. The corner of his mouth twitched upwards as he watched the man breathe…it was a bit scratchy and muffled with the mask, but he never heard something so wonderful in his entire life. Gently, he picked up Greg's hand and held it to his forehead, reciting a short prayer before setting it back down on the bed.

"I'm right here, G…and thank you…for not giving up. I knew you could do it. Just please keep hanging on."

~+CSI+~

Nick was lightly dozing in his chair when he heard someone knock on the door. Blinking his eyes open, he saw Warrick and Sara standing in the doorway. Nick smiled tiredly before sitting up and glancing at Greg.

"Hey. Did you guys just get here?"

"Yeah, wanted to see how everyone was doing," Sara replied. "How's Greg?"

Nick swallowed. "He's okay now but…"

"But what?" She said, getting worried. "What happened?"

"He…he died…for five minutes. The doctors gave up and they called it, but a miracle happened and he's alive now."

"Thank god," Warrick whispered. "Geez, how many heart-attacks is this kid gonna give us."

"Too many," Nick smiled sadly. "That's why- as the older siblings- we have to protect him with our lives…no matter what. Hell, I'd die for him in a heartbeat; I'd die for all of you. We're a family."

"Damn straight, man," Warrick grinned, patting Nick on the back. "Hey, why don't you come to the cafeteria with me, get something to eat." _Because you look like a twig right now._ Warrick was worried for his friend; the guy seemed all skin and bones since he 'forgot' about eating to focus on Greg. Well, now Greg's okay, so there was no excuse; there had been no excuse before, but he needed to get the guys mind on something else for a change.

Nick hesitated, looking at his slumbering friend. Warrick gave Sara a look and she nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Nick…you need something to eat. I'll watch over Greg."

The Texan thought about it some more, but finally gave in. He squeezed Greg's hand for a moment before he stood up and went out the door, followed by Warrick. _Finally._ Sara sat down in Nick's vacated chair and ran her fingers through Greg's curls now that the bandage had been removed.

"It'll be okay, Greg. We're all here and eager for you to wake up. There's no need for you to be scared, alright? You're safe now and nothing can hurt you."

All of a sudden, Greg's head moved beneath her hand. Sara gasped as she leaned forward, trying to see if she wasn't imagining things.

"Greg? Greg can you hear me?"

And then the moment she had been waiting for- that _everyone_ has been waiting for-finally happened. The young CSI's brown eyes blinked open and searched the room. When he made contact with Sara, she smiled warmly…but he didn't do anything…and then he said something in a hoarse voice that made her heart sink.

"N-Nick…hurt…me. Keep…h-him…'way." He tried to keep his eyes open longer but the morphine kicked back in and took him away from Sara once again. The brunette was lost for words; this information was gonna kill the Texan.

_**TBC…**_

_**0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Buried Alive **

_**Chapter 10**_

Sara paced the room silently, occasionally looking at her slumbering friend. What did Greg mean Nick _hurt_ him? Physically? Mentally? Nick would never do anything to harm the man who was like a little brother to him…right? Of course not; Nick loved Greg and would protect him like there was no tomorrow. So what the hell was the kid talking about? She had no idea, but she knew that she did not want to tell this to the Texan; it'd break his heart. But the guy would find out eventually when Greg didn't want to talk to Nick or even see him. Maybe Greg was just confused and wasn't sure on what really happened; god, she hoped that was the case. Dr. Moorhead walked into the room with a smile on her face; Sara had gotten a nurse to page her now that Greg had woken up for a brief moment.

"Could you wait out in the hall Sara? It'll only be a moment while I check his vitals."

"Of course." Biting her lip, she looked once more at the young CSI before leaving the room, trying to figure out what to do when Nick returned. And when she saw him walking down the hall, their eyes met and his smile vanished. He shoved his bagel into Warrick's hand and ran to her.

"What's going on?" He said, genuinely petrified, worried that something bad happened to Greg once again and he wasn't there to do anything about it. Once again it'd be his fault. "Why aren't you in there with him?"

"Dr. Moorhead's checking him over…he…he woke up."

A huge smile formed on Texan's- one that she hadn't seen in days. Too bad she might have to see it disappear again. "He did? That's great." Then he chuckled. "Little shit, the second I leave he wakes up."

Sara looked down at floor, stuck on whether she should ask the Texan the horrible question. He must've caught on, because when she looked up, he was frowning in confusion.

"Sara…what is it? Did Greg say something to you?"

Was he praying Greg didn't mention him hurting the kid? _Dammit Sara, stop thinking like that. Like you said, Nick loved Greg, he wouldn't do anything bad to him._

"Sara."

"No…he didn't say anything." But she was a terrible liar.

Nick looked at her with pleading eyes. "Sara…please, what's going on?"

The brunette sighed, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "I may be over thinking this and you might hate me for asking but…did you…did you hurt Greg?"

The Texan seemed taken aback at the brunt on the question. His face had gone pale and there was nothing but surprise and distress in his eyes. "What? What are you talking about? You-You know damn well I'd never lay a finger on that kid unless it was saving him."

"I know that Nick, but…when he woke up he said…he said that you hurt him. I don't think he feels safe around you Nick."

Nick let out a breath like he'd been punched in the gut. He swallowed the thick lump in his throat. Greg didn't want to be near him for some odd reason; sure he might've said some hurtful things to Greg before the kid was kidnapped, but other than that he didn't actually injure him.

"Oh god."

Warrick put a hand on Nick's shoulder and squeezed it. "Maybe he's just mixing things up. The drugs and fever are probably just messing with his head."

"God, I hope so," Nick said breathlessly while running his fingers through his hair.

"It'll be okay, Nick," Sara assured. "Once he starts to get better you can tell him what really happened."

"Yeah…yeah, okay."

"You want to sit man?" Warrick said. His friend was really upset; the news of Greg thinking Nick would actually physically hurt him must've wounded the guy.

"No…no, I want to see Greg."

"But he's sleeping, you can't talk to him right now," Sara replied.

"I don't care; I still need to be with him for when he does wake up."

Sighing because there was no arguing with the Texan, Sara nodded. "Alright; we just have to wait until the doctor is finished."

Nodding, Nick took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart as well as his swirling mind. He wanted to let his kid brother know he'd never lay a hand on him and would do anything to protect him. They waited for at least five more minutes before Dr. Moorhead emerged with a small smile on her face.

"Well? Is he okay?"

"He's doing great; healing much faster than I thought he would, especially after yesterday. He still has a disconcerting high fever and when he's awake, there's a few things you should be aware of."

Nick raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's a possibility of nausea and confusion along with violent shivering, headaches, drowsiness and dizzy spells. So just have him take it easy, we don't need any repeat occurrences. He may also have some trouble breathing and if he does, just give him the oxygen mask until he feels better. Do you have any other questions or concerns?"

Nick shook his head, just wanting to see his little brother.

"Alright, you're welcome to go sit with him again, however I insist you let him rest; his body is still exhausted."

The three nodded and Dr. Moorhead let them enter the room before leaving them alone with the patient. Nick was about to go sit next to Greg when he decided against it, knowing Greg would never wake up again if he knew Nick was right there.

"Um…I'm gonna go sit over there instead," he said pointing to the recliner in the corner. "You guys can sit with him this time."

"You sure man?" Warrick frowned.

Nick swallowed and nodded jerkily. "Yeah."

"Okay," Sara replied sadly yet understanding. Nick had just gotten a huge shock and she knew when the time was right, the Texan would make amends with the younger CSI. She went to go sit with Warrick by Greg's bedside, slipping her hand underneath his sweaty one and sighing. She prayed that everything would be back to normal soon. Warrick occasionally glanced at his best friend who was staring into space, rubbing his chin. He knew Nick desperately wanted to be by Greg's side, but was too worried Greg wouldn't wake up until he knew he was 'safe.' Man, this sucked out loud. They sat there for at least an hour before Warrick was called back to the lab. Catherine took the man's place and Sara filled her in on what was going on. Another hour went by and Greg remained still; his breathing was uneven and a thin layer of sweat would form on his creased forehead ever now and then. Catherine, being the mother that she was, would get up, wet a cloth and dab his face to cool it off. Nick watched as the woman did this; and though he knew Greg would _love_ that Catherine was doing this for him, Nick- being the big brother and all- wanted to be the one making his little brother feel better. But he couldn't because he was scared the kid might freak and hurt himself. He didn't want to be the cause of Greg's pain anymore. Wiping his eyes tiredly, he was about to leave and get some air when they all heard a small groan come from the bed. Catherine stood up, discarding the cloth and hovered her hands over Greg's bruised face, unsure of whether to touch him, speak to him or just let him wake up on his own.

"Sara, go get some water; he's gonna need it.  
As the brunette did so, Catherine cupped Greg's face gently, coaxing him to wake while Nick stood back, hesitant of his place at the moment.

"Greggy, sweetheart? It's me, Catherine. It's okay Hun, you're safe now; we got you home."

Finally, the younger man's eyes opened and it was the most beautiful sight for the older woman. She smiled warmly, missing those big brown orbs she was so used to seeing even if they were barely lucid. She stroked his face and up through his hair, whispering words of comfort as she felt his body start to shiver. Greg opened his mouth to speak, however nothing but a small squeak came out.

"Here," Sara said, coming from the bathroom and pouring Greg a cup of water. She helped him sip it as he was too weak. It almost made the brunette choke in emotion; she never thought Greg would be so frail that he would barely be able to lift his own glass of water. "Drink slowly; we can't have you getting sick."

When he finished, Greg gently collapsed back onto the pillows.

"Greg, can you talk, Hun?" Catherine whispered, still running her fingers through his curls. Sara had told her that Dr. Moorhead said Greg might have headaches and she didn't want to make them worse.

Greg coughed weakly before speaking, his voice extremely dry. "C-Catherine?"

"Right here, kiddo."

Greg looked around cautiously like he was afraid of something. Sara assumed it was of Nick. She glanced at the Texan who was still standing back. "S-Safe?"

Catherine was confused, but Sara and Nick were not.

"Yeah, it's safe," Sara replied

"Good." Greg smacked his lips and shifted on the bed, quivering a little.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Catherine smiled.

"Tired...confused...my head hurts a little."

"I'll go get Dr. Moorhead; I'm sure she'll want to run some tests."

When Catherine left, Nick was in Greg's view. Sara saw the blonde's eyes go wide as his whole body tensed.

"Hey buddy," Nick said with a lopsided smile.

Greg grasped Sara's arm, wanting some protection.

"Greg, it's alright, it's just Nick," Sara assured.

"Nick?"

"Yeah man."

Before Greg could say anything else, Dr. Moorhead, followed by Catherine, stepped into the room. The doctor gently moved Sara to the side and shone a penlight into Greg's eyes.

"Greg, my name is Dr. Moorhead; I've been treating you for the past couple weeks. Could you tell me the last thing you remember?"

Sniffing and tearing cautious eyes from Nick, he cleared his throat. "Umm...I think I was at a crime scene or something. I'm not really sure."

"Hmm." She turned to the three others in the room. "Could you all wait in the hallway for a few minutes? I just have a few short exams for him now that he's completely awake."

Reluctantly, the CSI's left, shutting the door behind them. Nick breathed out heavily, closing his eyes.

"Nicky?" Catherine said. "What's going on with you and Greg?"

"I don't...I don't know, Cath. He thinks I...god."

"What?"

"He thinks I hurt him and now he's scared of me."

"Why would he think that? Did you-"

"No! Why the hell would you even ask?" Nick shouted angrily.

"Well, there's gotta be a reason."

Nick sighed. "I did...I did say a few hurtful things to him a couple minutes before he was kidnapped."

Catherine raised an eyebrow and Nick continued quickly. "But I never actually _physically_ hurt him. You know me better than that!"

Catherine sighed in defeat. "I know Nick; I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I guess we're all under a lot of stress right now."

Catherine smiled tiredly. "Come here, Nicky." The two got together and hugged each other tightly. It had been a long couple of weeks...very exhausting actually and it was pitting them against each other.

"Ahem."

They pulled away and turned towards the voice. It was Dr. Moorhead. "Sorry to interrupt, but Greg's ready to have visitors if you'd like to go in."

The three glanced at each other and decided Nick should talk alone with Greg.

"Are you sure?"

"Nick, he needs to know the truth," Sara whispered. "Go talk."

Nodding, the Texan took a deep breath and stepped inside the dimly lit room. Greg was resting against the heap of pillows, eyes closed and snoring lightly. Nick smirked. The kid looked so peaceful but he knew on the inside that he was slowly falling apart. Hating himself for disturbing the kid, Nick spoke up. "Greg?"

Immediately, Greg's eyes snapped open and he tensed up again. The kid's gaze never moved away from the Texan; like he was too scared to look, yet too scared to look away. The silence was very unnerving for the both of them-especially Nick- and he looked away for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.

"Umm, hey Greggo. It's just me, alright? Nothing to be worried about. How're you feeling?"

Greg remained speechless, still tense and still afraid to do anything, so much as move. Nick took a couple steps forward, but stopped when Greg flinched. The older man sighed, looking at the floor and then around the room awkwardly. Things should never have to be this way between them. Greg was his little brother and he shouldn't be afraid of his big brother. Then the Texan couldn't take it anymore.

"Come on buddy, say something. If...if you think I hurt you in some way, please...please tell me. I want- I _need_ to know so I can fix things with you...please Greggo."

Greg swallowed thickly before opening his mouth. "I'm just," Greg began, his voice hoarse from lack of use. "Really confused Nick. I'm getting things mixed up; so just tell me one thing."

Nick moved closer, eager to fulfill Greg's request. "Anything, man. I'll do anything."

"Are you...I kept hearing your voice while I was in that...that place. And then when I was kidnapped. Did you...did you do this to me?"

"God, G. You really think..." Nick rubbed his face as he collapsed onto the chair next to Greg's bed. "Greggo, I...I admit I said some pretty hurtful things to you before you were taken, but I would never, _never_ have done this to you. Ever. Do you remember Paul Millander and his adopted son, Craig? Well, Craig's the one who did this to you; that sick bastard buried you alive and then killed himself so we couldn't find you. But we did, buddy. We got you out and you're safe now. And when you heard my voice, it was because he put in a microphone so we could talk. But I promise you that I would never...could never hurt you, G." Nick remained silent, waiting for his little brother's reaction. The kid seemed in deep thought, trying to process everything that had been said. The blonde broke his gaze away from Nick, looking at his shaking hands.

"That really happened?"

"Damn straight, kiddo."

"You didn't hurt me?"

Nick pursed his lips. "Well, 'member when I told you how I said some things to you before this mess?"

"You said I'd never become a CSI, yeah."

Nick frowned. "You remember that?"

Greg nodded weakly.

"Shit, G. You know I didn't mean it, right? I was just...I was so scared that something bad happened to you and when I'm scared I lash out, but I swear to you, what I said...I never meant it. I'm so, so sorry Greggo."

Greg licked his chapped lips and glanced at the Texan, trying to figure him all out. After a couple of minutes, Greg sighed heavily, picking at the sheets. "I forgive you," he said quietly.

To someone else, they probably wouldn't have heard the kid's small voice, but it was loud enough for Nick. Greg's voice had always been embedded in his mind ever since he felt the need to protect the kid. "You do?" Nick whispered. "Cause you really don't have to, G. I'd understand completely."

"No...I want to; I don't wanna have this awkwardness between us when I...when I go back to work."

"You're gonna go back to work, too?"

"Yeah; I'm not gonna let this stop me from doing what I love. I mean, I just started being a CSI; I'm not quitting."

Nick smiled, feeling so proud of his brave little brother for overcoming this so quickly...well, he knew that the kid might have nightmares and flashbacks but Greg was strong. Maybe stronger than him. Before Greg could say anything else, Nick leaned forward and engulfed him in a gentle yet tight hug.

"God, I'm so proud of you, bud. And I'm so sorry for everything."

Greg was unsure for a second on what do do, but after a moment or so, Greg wrapped his uninjured arm around nick, returning the gesture without jarring any of his other injuries.

"I'll be alright, Nick. We'll be okay; you'll see."

"I know, kiddo. It's you and me against the world; don't ever forget that."

"I won't...thanks, Nick."

The Texan's heart almost broke when he heard the sincerity in the kid's voice. He choked back a sob, closing his eyes in sheer relief. "I love you man," he whispered, trying not to cry. He heard Greg sniff and he squeezed him a little tighter.

"I love you too, Nick." A couple tears made their way out of Greg's eyes and he blinked them away. As minutes passed, Greg passed out in Nick's arm from physical and emotional exhaustion and Nick followed not long after. But both minds were finally starting to be at rest. And even though they had a long road to recovery ahead of them, they both knew things would get better eventually if they just stuck together. Big brother and little brother.

**TBC**

**Ahhh! So much brotherly love! Next chapter may or may not be the last chapter; we'll have to see how it goes. And next chapter will show Greg getting the full hit that he was buried alive. Stay tuned! REVIEWS!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Buried Alive**

**Sorry for the lateness; I've been so caught up with making this last chapter really good as well as college stuff! It's been sooo crazy; but anyways, I hope you like this chapter and thank you all for everything! Enjoy!**

_**Chapter 11**_

_ The minute he open his eyes, he knew something was wrong. It was completely dark and he felt really...trapped. Swallowing tersely, Greg tried to move around but found out he was limited; his breathing became erratic when he started to sit up. But instead of see a hospital room, he hit his forehead on wood._

_ "No." He felt like he was gonna be sick. "No, this can't...oh god. Nick? Catherine? S-Sara?" Had it all been a dream? Had being saved just been a fantasy of his fevered brain? "Nick!"_

_ Suddenly, a bright light flickered on, causing Greg to squint and turn his head away. "Nick? Is that you."_

_ "You're friends are dead, kid. I killed them all. Now you are going to die slowly...alone."_

_ "Please...please don't, I'll do anything."_

_ "Anything, huh? Then take the gun and shoot yourself in the head."_

_ "W-What?"_

_ "You heard me. Kill yourself. Your friends are dead and there is no one to save you. Why not end the suffering now?"_

_ "I don't think I can."_

_ "Why, because you're a wimp, little baby? That's why everyone hates you. And you know what? Nick hated you the most; before I slashed his throat, he said this was all your fault and that he wanted you to die."_

_ "No, y-you're lying." This couldn't be happening._

_ "I'm not lying, kid. It's true. They loathed you Greg, they just didn't have the heart to tell you. Now, be a good boy and kill yourself before the bugs come."_

_ "What? What bugs?" All of a sudden, he heard scratching outside his coffin; before he could do anything else, the wood cracked and ants came pouring in. Almost immediately, pain sparked over his entire body. The ants were eating him alive. He tried shaking them off, but there wasn't any room to do so. "No, please! Oh god, ahhh! Nick, please help! Please!"_

The Texan had been dozing in the chair when he heard small whimpers coming from the bed. Sitting up quickly, he looked at his little brother and his heart immediately broke. Greg's pale and pain filled face was covered in a thick layer of sweat while his fists clutched the sheets and thrashed around weakly. Nightmare.

"Get them off me! Nick, p-please...help!"

"Crap." The poor kid had dealt with enough already; he didn't need to endure this. Leaning forward, he placed a comforting hand on Greg's forehead. "Shh, it's okay, buddy. You're okay now, you're safe. We got you out and you're safe. Just open your eyes man."

But it didn't help...it only made it worse. "Shit. G, come on, wake up for me alright? I promise nothing-"

All of a sudden, Greg shot up from the bed, nearly colliding into Nick and breathing like he'd just been close to drowning.

"Greg!" The Texan grabbed a hold of the blonde's flailing arms and held them down. "Greggo, calm down buddy, you're okay now."

Greg's breaths were erratic and wheezing, but looked at his friend. "N-Nick?"

"Right here, man."

Greg's body shivered as he looked away, wiping his face tiredly.

"You okay?"

"Y-Yeah...just...just a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Greg shook his head. "There's nothing to talk about. It was just a bad dream, end of story."

Nick was a little taken aback at how irritated the kid sounded. He frowned, sitting back in his seat. "You okay, bud?"

"Yeah, fine," Greg muttered, closing his eyes. He was exhausted; exhausted from crying, exhausted from being asked if he was okay and exhausted from the nightmares that beat him down with constant insults. He was beginning to wonder if Nick had lied to him about the things he "didn't do" and that maybe he was in on all of his. _What the hell are you thinking Greg? You've known Nick for almost six years; and like he said, he would never hurt you._

"Greg? Greg!?"

The young CSI opened his eyes, but once again he was met with darkness. He frowned...hadn't he just been in the hospital? He was feeling claustrophobic and extremely hot...like being in an oven. Coughing, he tried to move...but he was trapped...he was back in the box. These nightmares were never going to end. All of a sudden, the space started to get smaller and smaller; his calm breaths transitioned into frantic wheezes.

"Help! Please!" He chest was starting to get tight and soon enough he couldn't breathe at all. His lungs were burning, pleading for much needed oxygen; it felt like someone was squeezing all the air out with their fists. Something was seriously wrong. He was sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. "H-Help, I c-can't-" but that was all he could get out before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he knew no more.

Nick went into a full state of panic when Greg stopped breathing, his oxygen levels plummeting and his head falling limply to the side. At one moment, Greg was breathing fine and awake, the next he went still and didn't exhale. He slammed his palm on the call button before running out in the hallway, shouting for help. When he saw the first two nurses come running, Nick bolted back into the room.

"It'll be okay, buddy," he whispered, running his hands over Greg's forehead and through his damp hair. "The doctors are gonna make you better." He looked down and saw that the man's lips were already tinted blue. "Shit; come on, G don't do this. Don't give up." Pretty soon, he was shoved out of the way while the doctors tried to get Greg breathing again. Nick stumbled against the wall as he watched in horror.

"Windpipe is inflamed, swelling shut. Inject him with epinephrine!"

A nurse grabbed a syringe, pulled back the sheets and within seconds she stabbed it into Greg's upper leg. They waited for a few moment in silent fear and Nick was staring at Greg, praying the kid would breath.

"Come on, kid," Dr. Moorhead whispered, hoping they wouldn't have to shove a tube down the man's throat. And just when she was about to tell the nurse to get the ventilator, Greg inhaled sharply, gulping in vast amounts of oxygen. He sat up quickly, coughing violently and trying to inhale normally.

"Greg! Greg, take it easy," Dr. Moorhead said calmly while placing the oxygen mask over his face.

A nurse came up to Nick, pushing him back and outside the room. "Sir, we're gonna need you to leave for a moment while the doctor assesses your friend."

Before he could open his mouth, the door was shut in his face. Nick sighed heavily, pinching his eyes and collapsing in a chair. "Dammit, Greg." It had been close. Again.

~+CSI+~

Nick watched quietly as Greg's chest bobbed up and down, his breath fogging up the mask. He looked over at Sara who was holding the kid's hand and running her fingers through his hair.

"So what did Dr. Moorhead say? What happened?"

"She said something about a bad reaction to the medicine. They took him off but the healing will take a bit longer."

"At least he's alive; that's all that mattered."

"Yeah." Nick rubbed his face tiredly as he leaned back in his chair. He was exhausted. "Wake me up if something happens."

"I will, Nick, just get some sleep."

_ The instant he closed his eyes, he felt like he was in a small space; every time he breathed, the air would reverberate back to him. His eyes snapped open and he was met with total darkness; frowning, he put his hands in front of him, trying to move...but he couldn't._

_ "No...no, no, no." This couldn't be happening again. A bright light flashed on, glaring in his eyes. He turned his head, finding himself looking into the vent that provided air whenever the light turned off. He was in his grave...in the glass box again. "Help, anybody! Please get me out!" He banged on the surface and squirmed around the small space. He was gonna die this time; he was sure of it._

_ "Help!" Then he remembered the gun...it was right by his hand. It was the only way; he was never gonna get out and he wasn't going through this again. "I'm sorry Greg." And with that, he put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger._

Nick's eyes blinked open abruptly and the first thing he saw was Greg. The lamp on the nightstand was on, the kid's eyes were open and he was sitting up, staring at Nick sadly and uncertainly. Immediately, the Texan sat up straighter, putting a fake grin on his face.

"Hey, buddy. How long have you been up?"

"Awhile."

Nick nodded as he wiped his face and looked around. "Where's Sara?"

"She went to go get Dr. Moorhead, m'starting to get a headache." Greg settled back against the pillows and squeezed his eyes shut.

Nick pursed his lips in sympathy while leaning towards the lamp. "Do you want me to turn off-"

"No, don't!" Greg shouted, grabbing Nick's wrist. "I mean...it's fine. I'm fine."

"Greg-"

"I said I'm fine! Can you...just get Sara?" He didn't know why he was so irritated all time, but he hated all these questions. It was probably from bottling up his emotions, however pushing his burdens onto someone else-especially one that had went through the same horror- was not what he liked to do.

Nick was about to say something but decided against it. He knew _exactly_ what Greg was doing and why he was acting this way. He had been the same after he was...after what happened to him. He just didn't know how to get through to the man without causing too much distress.

"Alright, I'll get her." He stood up and placed a hand on Greg's arm. "You're gonna be okay, G. I'll be here when you're ready to talk." With that, he walked out of the room before the kid was able to respond.

Greg watched with his arms crossed and when the Texan disappeared out the door, his facade fell. Tears trickled down his face and he slumped back. He was barely keeping it together; he was not fine and he felt extremely bad that he was being rude to his best friend and brother. The man who was trying as hard as he could to get him through this. He started sobbing unbeknownst that Nick didn't go far; the man was actually standing right outside the door, leaning against the wall. His heart was breaking at the tortured cries of his little brother and he wanted to be there. But Greg wasn't ready. Softly hitting his head on the wall, he reluctantly walked away, going to find the brunette.

By the time he, Sara and Dr. Moorhead returned, Greg was fast asleep but neither of them missed the tear marks on the kid's cheeks or the pained look on his face.

"What happened?" Sara asked as Dr. Moorhead injected more pain meds into Greg's I.V.

"He's...He's having a hard time with all of...with what happened and it's taking a while to get him to talk about it."

"He'll get through this," Sara said, rubbing his arm. "You'll get him through this." They watched as Greg's body seemed to relax once the drugs were administered. "I know he's got the team, but he doesn't have alcohol to turn to like...like you did because he doesn't drink. He needs you, Nick, before something bad ends up happening. I know what it's like to bottle up all the feelings, the emotions, the horrors that he faced and I know you do to. It will take awhile, but just ease him through it."

"I know, Sara." It had take Greg a long time to get Nick to open up, but Greg wasn't the type to be the center of attention- well, when it came to something serious. The kid was selfless- he put petty things before his important things. He just hoped he could find a way to talk to his little brother without upsetting him. It wasn't gonna be a cake walk.

"He should be all set now," Dr. Moorhead smiled warmly. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me." With that, she disappeared down the hallway, leaving Sara and Nick standing by the door.

"You wanna go in right now?"

Nick forced a smile and shook his head. "No, you sit with him for a while, I need to clear my head."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah...Greg seems bothered by me anyways." Before Sara could answer, Nick turned his back and left down the hall, slapping the double doors and walking away. Pursing her lips sadly and hesitating a little, Sara went into Greg's room and sat down. She hoped everything would be okay and that things would go back to normal. But that might never happen.

"Just talk, Greg; talk to us. We're here for you," she whispered, kissing him on the forehead.

"S-S'ra?"

The brunette's eyes went wide, leaning closer to her friend. "Greg?" His eyes were still closed, but he seemed to be somewhat between lucidness and sleep. "You awake?"

Suddenly, his hand slid up her arm, searching for a hand. Realizing what he was doing, she grasped his, squeezing it gently. "Greg?"

"D-Don't go," he said in almost a broken voice that tore at Sara's heart. Biting her lip, she smiled. "I won't, Greg. I'll stay right here. Just go to sleep, okay?"

"'Kay...S'ra?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't t-turn the lights off."

_Poor kid. _"I won't, don't worry; now go to sleep." When she didn't get a response, Sara smiled weakly and relaxed, never letting go of the young CSI's hand. "You'll be okay; I know you will."

~+CSI+~

When Greg opened his eyes five hours later, he was feeling a lot better...didn't change the thought about talking, however. Nick had returned a few hours earlier and fell asleep on the recliner in the corner while Sara stuck to her word; she didn't let go of Greg's hand- though only on occasion when her hand got sweaty- and she stayed by his side. Groaning weakly, he moved his fingers a little, jerking Sara awake from her doze. When she saw him up, a tired grin formed on her face.

"Hey."

"Hey...what time is it?"

"It's late; you've been asleep for pretty long."

"Hmm."

"How're you feeling."

Greg shrugged. "No worse; no better."

Sara looked behind her at the slumbering Texan, smiling sadly and then returned back to Greg. "You know, talking about it always helps."

Greg raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"I know it's hard, but Nick dealt with the same thing you did. He understands what you're going through and he's the best person to talk to. You helped him after his ordeal; let him help you now."

The two siblings stared at each other for a split second before Sara got up. "Just promise me you'll think about it okay?" After resting a hand on Greg's shoulder briefly, she left the room, saying something about getting coffee.

The blonde sighed heavily and looked at his friend who was out cold. The poor guy; it didn't take a genius to see that he was overtired...or to know that the moment he went missing, Nick didn't do anything but search. Pressing his lips together, Greg picked at his sheets, debating on how he should go about this. Sara was right, he needed to talk...but he didn't know how. And he didn't know how to wake the Texan up either. He searched the area within his reaching, wondering if he could throw something at him. He suddenly spotted a container of straws on his nightstand and a slight grin formed on his face.

"Bingo." In a couple minutes, he ended up making a dozen spitballs, the extra straws strewn out on his bed. Carefully and quietly, Greg managed to land a few on Nick's chest and hair, even with his damaged lungs. And just as he was at his last one, he landed the spitball right on the corner of Nick's open mouth. It slowly rolled from his lips and inside his mouth; immediately, the man jolted up straight, spitting the paper out while brushing off the ones on his chest.

"What the..." And when he heard chuckling, he knew it could've only been one person...and to hear the laugh come from Greg made the weight on his chest lift. He looked over at his friend, shaking his head. "You think that's real funny, don't you G."

"Hey, gotta entertain myself somehow."

Nick laughed, pushing himself off the chair and heading over to the less comfortable one by Greg's bed. "How're you feeling?"

"Eh."

There was a few moment of awkward silence before they both spoke at the same time.

"Look Greggo-"

"Nick-"

Greg ducked his head, "You go."

Nick sighed. "I'm really sorry for pushing you into talking about...about what happened. I should just let you tell me on your own. I know you aren't like me...so, when you're ready, I'm here."

Greg nodded. "Well...I'm ready."

Nick's eyebrows rose quickly. "Really? You don't have to be on my behalf, Greg. I can wait."

"No, I'm...I'm ready to do this."

"Alright, kid. Take it slow and if you want to stop talking, I'll understand."

"Okay." _Here goes nothing._ "Every time I close my eyes I...I'm back in that," Greg paused, swallowing thickly. "I c-can't breathe, it's hot, and...and then the voices start. I hear Craig's voice in the microphone saying he killed all of you and that...umm." Tears were making their way to the brim of Greg's eyes.

"Greg, you can stop if you want."

"N-No, it's okay. He kept saying that...you _wanted_ me dead and that everything was my fault. He wanted me to kill myself...and I was going to. Nick...if you hadn't come on the microphone I would've killed myself."

"God, G. I'm so glad you didn't. Man, you don't know what I would've done if we found you like that. For one, I probably wouldn't be able to live with myself; it would've been my fault...it _is_ my fault. I never should've yelled at you or left you alone back in that alley. If I hadn't, none of this would've happened. Nothing is your fault; it never was. I'm so sorry."

Greg stayed silent, feeling bad about all of this. "It's not your fault; I screwed up...big time. And I got kidnapped and buried alive, I..." and then it hit him. He never really thought of it that much before now, because he was really trying to block it out but...he had been buried alive. Things like that don't happen normally. His body started trembling with fear as he was propelled back to his grave. The darkness, no oxygen, the ants...no space. Can't breathe. _I can't breathe!_

"Greg!" The kid was hyperventilating and Nick knew that he was finally coming to terms with what happened. "Greg, breathe!" He grabbed the man's shoulders, shaking them gently. After a few seconds, Greg's terror filled eyes met Nick's and he stopped short.

"N-Nick...oh god, I was...I was buried alive."

The Texan frowned sadly. "I know, G."

"Nick, I w-was really s-stuck down there and...I couldn't breathe or move and I thought no one was gonna find me. I thought I was really gonna die. Oh god Nick-"

"Shh, Greg. It's okay, man, you're okay now." He wrapped his arms around the small body and carefully brought the sobbing Greg to his chest. "It'll be okay, kid. I promise; everything will be okay and I'll help you get through it...just like you did with me. You are _definitely_ not alone in this; you got the team and I'm gonna be with you the entire way." For nearly half an hour Greg cried, letting out all the pain and horror through his tears. And Nick; he continued to hold his little brother while rubbing circles on the kid's shivering back and offering comforting words. After a ten minutes, Greg pulled away, sniffing and wiping his face with an embarrassed smile.

"S-Sorry...ruined your shirt."

"You have nothing to apologize for...and anyways, it's just a shirt." He squeezed Greg's arm before he relaxed as did the younger CSI. "So what next?" The Texan asked.

"I think you should go home for a while...you look like hell. No offense."

Nick chuckled. "None taken; but, you don't look so hot yourself."

"I'm an exception; I'm sick and injured." Silence. "Come on, Nick, go home. Get some rest, _shave_; Sara's here so I'm not alone. I'm feeling a lot better now, just go take care of yourself."

Nick looked uncertain. "How about I just stay here until she comes back...or until you fall back asleep."

Greg smiled weakly. He knew Nick meant well, but the guy looked like he was about to keel over. Even with the short nap he seemed to have taken. However, he was starting to get extremely tired due to the drugs they put in his I.V. Before he knew it, his eyes were starting to droop close.

"Guess I'm falling asleep now...promise me you'll leave a-after I do? I don't want you to end up here...this place s-sucks."

He felt something warm grab his hand and he knew it was Nick's confirmation. "I promise, buddy. I promise." _Everything will be okay; you'll see._

**Three Days Later**

Nick had only been able to stay away from the hospital for the next forty-eight hours before a nightmare scared him to death and caused him to drive back over and make sure his friend was okay. It was around seven in the morning and Nick was reading a magazine while Greg was fast asleep. The kid finally looked peaceful and it made the Texan feel tons better. Smirking slightly, he flipped the page when he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Afraid that whoever was there was gonna wake his little brother, he discarded the magazine and jumped out of the chair, heading for the exit. He gave a quick glance to Greg who had stirred a little in his sleep but thankfully settle back down, before stepping out. It was Dr. Moorhead.

"Hey, is everything okay?"

"Better than okay; Greg is recovering amazingly and I believe that he's all set to go home."

"Really?" Nick beamed widely. It was about time. Greg was gonna be so happy.

"Yes; he's just gonna have to sign some forms as well as the person who is gonna stay with him for at least three days."

"Me. It's gonna be me."_ Obviously; he was never letting Greg out of his sight again._

"Excellent; I'll go get the papers and Greg will be out before noon." Dr. Moorhead smiled warmly before leaving.

Nick let out a huge breath, wiping a hand down his freshly shaven face and then heading back into the room. He smirked when he was met with Greg, who was just waking up. When their eyes locked, Greg gave him a lopsided grin while rubbing his eyes.

"Hey," he said in a raspy voice.

"Hey, bud; how are ya?"

"Tired. And sore from being in this bed for so long."

"Well, fret no more, because doc said you can go home."

This seemed to lighten the kid's mood. "Seriously?"

"Yep."

Greg collapsed against the pillows, relief on his face. "Thank god. This place is like a prison."

Nick laughed; the first time he truly laughed in days. He missed this; he missed the old Greg and he was glad that he the kid he knew wasn't too far gone. Some people- after what had happened- might've gone crazy; had so many nightmares that they'd do something drastic. But not Greg; his little brother was strong as hell and never again would he doubt his abilities.

"You're gonna be okay, you know that right, G?"

The young CSI smiled. "I know. Like you said, it's you and me against the world."

"Damn straight, man. Forever and always."

_**FINIS!**_

_** Wow! Finally finished! Ending was kinda sucky but I loved writing this story and I hope you liked reading it as much as I did! Thanks a bunch for all the reviews, favs, alerts, and follows. It means so much to me that people love my writing. So now I need to continue Summer of Hurt Greg and the prompt giving will be til the end of August (last day will be Sept 1st) so if you want a story done, get them in! Once again, thanks and stay tuned for the next story! **_**REVIEWS!**

_** -McGeeklover**_


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